Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee on Ironman plans and another epic challenge

Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee has admitted that he will likely take on a full-distance race at some point in his career….but only when the time is right.

The 27-year-old currently has the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles as his long-term goal, but he is also preparing for a life outside of short-course, evidenced by his participation in the London Marathon where he finished a highly creditable 14th place overall.

The British star discussed the reasoning for his marathon attempt, highlighting the final leg of a full-distance Ironman triathlon as part of his thought process going into 2025.

Pushing myself is in my DNA

When discussing his post-2028 plans on Breakfast with Bob Babbitt, Yee admitted he has aspirations of completing a full-distance race, and that part of his genetic makeup demands he pushes himself outside of his comfort zone.

“Another idea of this [running the London Marathon] was to be prepared, I don’t want to do a full Ironman without having run a marathon.

“I had to run the distance before I jump there, and I think in a way, having raced a marathon, that has really excited me about doing that distance [Ironman] and the unknown of that.

“I think part of my DNA, and part of my genetics is I want to put myself into the discomfort zone and improve in that sense and keep everything intrinsic and push myself that way – I feel like Ironman is synonymous with that.

“So I think, at the right time, it’s something I’d like to throw myself into wholeheartedly and really give a good go.”

Yee would follow in the footsteps of many a short-course star. German legend Jan Frodeno, who won Olympic gold back at Beijing in 2008, followed that epic triumph by winning three IRONMAN World Championship titles and two 70.3 Worlds.

2020 Olympic Champion Kristian Blummenfelt is another star name who has transitioned expertly to long course – he has an IRONMAN World Championship and a 70.3 World Championship to his name as well. And, of course, there is double Olympic gold medalist Alistair Brownlee, a three-time IRONMAN race victor.