Another triathlon world champion could be set to follow in the footsteps of Alex Yee and tackle a standalone marathon.
Yee had the perfect 2024 when he won triathlon gold at the Olympics and then followed it with a first world title. But 2025 saw him switch his attention for much of the 12 months to the 26.2-mile distance – and to devastating effect.
He made his marathon debut on home roads in London where he finished 14th in the elite race in 2:11:08 and then in December he clocked the second-fastest ever time by a Briton with a 2:06:38 as he came seventh in Valencia.
And the next huge swim, bike and run star to contemplate a crack at the distance in a major race is 2023 IRONMAN World Champion Sam Laidlow.
Barca bound?
The Frenchman of course runs a marathon at the end of every full-distance race so it would be nothing like the leap that Yee made. But Laidlow teased the idea in his end-of-season YouTube video, which is embedded below, and explained there would be a clear plan behind it.
He explained: “Onto next year and I actually don’t know my full race calendar yet.
“Obviously in my mind the goal is still – and always will be – to win the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona.
“But I’m actually thinking of maybe doing a marathon, just for the fun, at the start of the year. To give me a running goal and maybe bring me some confidence to know that I can run fast.
“So I’m looking at doing Barcelona Marathon.”
That takes place on March 15, almost exactly seven months before the IMWC in Kona.
More to come on the run?
Laidlow is one of triathlon’s strongest bikers – he was ranked number one in 2024 – and is invariably in the top 10 of the swimming stats. But in run terms he’s yet to break into the top 25 despite some impressive marathon times in full-distance races.
In the season just gone he clocked 2:37:19 when he notched a brilliant comeback success at Challenge Roth and he then followed that with a 2:41 when he won an undulating IRONMAN Leeds by a distance – and then a 2:42 in a vintage men’s IRONMAN World Championship in Nice.
Reflecting on that campaign, which began with him on the sidelines, he added: “It’s been an eventful year but I think that after everything I went through at the start of the year, it’s pretty good – it’s okay what we achieved.
“A win in Roth, the win in Leeds and fifth place in Nice – it was tough not winning there but I think all things considered, it’s not bad.”
Support network
And going into more detail on the tough first six months of 2025, he wrote on Instagram: “I came into 2025 fitter and hungrier than ever. Then, out of nowhere, illness hit. What started small slowly spiralled and sidelined me for the first half of the season. Not knowing what was wrong was the hardest part. I began to question things I’d never really questioned before: would my body ever feel the same again? Could I return to the highest level? Or had I already lived my “prime”?
“My girlfriend, my family, and my support team carried me through that period. I’ll never be able to express how grateful I am for that, especially knowing it led me to one of the biggest wins of my career in Roth.
“I held on tightly to the original dream – returning to Nice to defend the title. Looking back now, I’m proud of that belief… even if it was, at times, almost delusional.
“This year taught me a lot, but above all it reminded me what a privilege this life is. The privilege of pushing our bodies. Of setting goals that scare us. Of believing deeply in something difficult.
“I feel like I still have so much to give to this sport – like I’m only just getting started. But I won’t take any of it for granted anymore. Not the wins. Not the training. Not the people who share this journey with me.
“It’s special. And like most special things, it’s fragile.
“My job now is to keep the ship steady – to respect the conditions, read the signs, and learn how to navigate rougher seas without losing my direction.”
