Latest news with #AlexYee
The National
6 days ago
- Business
- The National
Triathlon set for $65m boost as events organiser looks to expand in Middle East
An organiser of international triathlon events is looking for investors to expand the sport in the Middle East. Supertri has been running successful competitions in Neom, Saudi Arabia, and believes there is strong potential for triathlon to take off in the region. At Olympic level, triathlon involves a 1.5km swim, cycling 40km and then running 10km, and in the lronman event competitors swim 3.8km, cycle 180km and run the marathon distance of 42.2km. But shorter versions of the event have been introduced in recent years in a bid to popularise the sport. Supertri combines an elite league featuring British Olympic champions Alistair and Jonny Brownlee and Alex Yee, as well as France's Cassandre Beaugrand, with entry level mass-participation events. There are currently two Middle East-based professional teams competing in the event, Bahrain Victorious and Crown Racing. The organisation is now in talks to raise $65 million to acquire up to 50 additional events in the US, Europe and the Middle East. Half of that money is understood to already be assured with the remaining $30 million expected to be secured by September. As well as the familiar format, there will also be an expansion of Supertri-E sport, which combines real life and virtual racing. Athletes swim in an Olympic-standard pool then switch to stationary bikes and self-powered treadmills positioned poolside. The cycling and running segments are tracked and visualised using advanced platforms such as Dubai-based MyWhoosh, allowing both in-person and virtual spectators to follow the action in real time. Supertri also wants to build a global community on a digital platform similar to the popular Strava app. Jonny Brownlee, who owns a Supertri franchise team, described the new format as 'shorter and sharper, with action and drama throughout', which he believes can help to expand the sport. 'We need to inspire the next generation of triathletes and triathlon fans, and Supertri brings fresh thinking that makes the sport highly engaging and accessible to many people, both for fans and participants,' said Jonny, who won a gold medal in the mixed relay event at the Tokyo Olympics in 2022. 'It's also a great way for me to race against the best in an exciting and competitive format that's unlike anything else. I still want to test myself against the best in the world while I can still be competitive. Supertri is constantly innovating to make the sport better.' He offered hope for the average competitor without his superhuman endurance who want to take part in amateur events. 'You can be averagely fit and with a bit of training enter a 'By Supertri' mass participation event – it's much more accessible and enjoyable and fun,' he said. Michael D'hulst, the co-founder of Supertri and its chief executive, said the company's plans are 'designed to inspire and engage new and existing triathletes alike'. MyWhoosh was founded in 2019 by Akhtar Hashmi, a UAE-based entrepreneur who is chief executive of many technology companies. In 2023, the company was granted the rights to organise the Esports World Championship by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) for the next three years. It is also the official indoor cycling platform of the World Tour UAE Team Emirates and its rider, Tadej Pogacar. Supertri has been operating in Saudi Arabia since 2019 and kicked off last year's Neom Beach Games, which was covered by the Saudi Sports Channel and beIN Sports. In 2023, viewing figures rose by 146 per cent, including a 66 per cent surge in live viewers, while Supertri's annual YouTube viewership from the country has grown more than 6000 per cent since 2022. Participation in the Saudi Triathlon Federation events increased 24 per cent from 2022 to 2023. Dr Dina Al Tayeb was the first Saudi female triathlete and also the first from the country to take part in the Ironman World Championship, in 2018 and 2019 in Hawaii. She has competed in 18 full and 45 half Ironman events and more than 100 races in the past 20 years. She now plays a prominent role as a board member of the Saudi Arabia Triathlon Federation, overseeing the development of the women's section of the sport.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Six Greenock athletes reflect on their runs in record-breaking London Marathon
Six Greenock athletes reflect on their runs in record-breaking London Marathon This year's London Marathon saw more finishers than any other marathon in history. (Image: Supplied) SIX Greenock Glenpark Harriers took part in the record-breaking TCS London Marathon. The event saw more finishers than any other marathon in history. The Harriers joined the likes of Eilish McColgan and Olympic triathlete Alex Yee, both making their marathon debuts. (Image: Supplied) Stephen Hanley, the sole Harrier in the field with prior marathon experience, completed the race in 3 hours, 21 minutes, and 24 seconds. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He commented: "My wee boy Ben had an absolute ball. While I was running, he found a huge bit of empty grass outside Big Ben to chase pigeons. "Getting the pram back on the Tube afterwards was like marathon number two though!" (Image: Supplied) After a challenging training period amidst parenthood, he pushed through the heat from mile 16 to the finish line. Ricky Long used the marathon as preparation for an upcoming Ironman event. After an interrupted training block, he aimed to enjoy the day while getting the miles in. He said: "My favourite part was enjoying the whole weekend with minimal pressure. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement (Image: Supplied) "I walked the final 1km with my phone in hand, drinking up the atmosphere, happily saying goodbye to a PB on the official time." He completed the race in 4 hours, 6 minutes, and 57 seconds. Jill Turner, who received the sole club place, ran the marathon alongside her best friend and fellow Harrier Eilidh Black. (Image: Supplied) She said: "I was dreading the part of the course where we doubled back on ourselves and down Embankment as I'd heard it is monotonous, but it ended up being one of my favourite parts. "The whole run I spent in complete awe at all the different landmarks and sights." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Both women, supported by the crowd's motivation, completed the marathon, with Jill finishing in 4 hours, 54 minutes, and 52 seconds, and Eilidh in 4 hours, 51 minutes, and 50 seconds. Alison Robertson, supported by her family and a video message from Joe Wicks, completed the marathon in 4 hours, 51 minutes, and 36 seconds. (Image: Supplied) She adapted her plan due to the weather and made good use of water, ice, and shower stations. Alison said: "Saturday morning was spent at the Expo collecting my bib and taking in the atmosphere created by thousands of potential marathoners. "The nerves and excitement were real." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ryan McMonagle, who began his running journey late last year, completed his first marathon in 5 hours, 23 minutes, and 3 seconds. Despite facing cramp towards the end, he showed determination to finish the race.
Independent Singapore
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Independent Singapore
Track and field athletes reflect on memorable marathon debuts
Olympic triathlon Alex Yee and Commonwealth 10,000m champion Eilish McColgan both made their marathon debut at the 2025 London Marathon. Yee's debut experience: 'My legs have never been this sore' For Yee, his London Marathon debut was 'one of the best experiences' of his life as an athlete, even though he encountered more difficulties while finishing it than at the Paris Olympics. The 27-year-old athlete finished the race in 14th place, with a final time of 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 8 seconds. The athlete told BBC Sport: 'It was probably one of the best experiences of my life if I'm being honest. I expected the crowd to be good but they were another level… I am so proud to have completed the marathon.' He added: 'An amazing experience but it was hard at the end. Emotions about [the] time will come afterwards, but the main thing for me today was to enjoy it, do something unknown and embrace it. I did that to my best of my ability… This is bigger than running. It's an amazing day and I wanted to be a part of it. This was the perfect opportunity.' When he was asked how running a marathon compared to a triathlon, Yee said that it was a different challenge. He admitted: 'My legs have never been this sore. Physically they are quite similar but my legs have never felt like this in my whole life. It's a new experience definitely. 'Definitely a lot more dark moments, I'd say, than Paris, today… Once I got to 32, 33k there's a lot of pain there. My legs are cramping and I just had to keep fighting through that.' Yee confirmed that his switch to the marathon would not be permanent. He plans to focus on defending his Olympic title in triathlon at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. In a social media post, Yee said: '2:11:08 London Marathon! One of the best moments of my life. I didn't hit my goal but I had the best time doing it. London you really hit different ❤️' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alex Yee (@lixsanyee) Netizens commented on the post and said: 'I think that is the fastest marathon ever by a professional triathlete… way to go!!!!', 'Huge congratulations Alex, you did ittttt! Well done second Brit home on your first marathon, well done Alex 👟🤩💕', and 'Very impressive -well done ! Congrats' McColgan's experience: 'I was very, very nervous' Eilish McColgan finally made her marathon debut after her injury had kept her from racing in London in previous years. The Commonwealth 10,000m champion finished eighth in the elite women's race, securing the best result among British runners. She impressively set a Scottish marathon record with a time of 2:24:25. In the process, she also beat the personal best of her mother, Liz McColgan, and the 1996 London Marathon winner, who ran 2:26:52 in 1997. She admitted to BBC Sport: 'I was very, very nervous. Probably the most nervous I have been… The distance was an unknown. I have never raced more than a half marathon so the thought of doing it back-to-back was scary. The crowds were insane.' She added: 'I knew my first [marathon] would be tough. I was coming in underprepared. I can now call myself a marathoner which I was incredibly proud of. It was a really good learning experience… I would love to break two minutes 20 seconds. It is what I think I am capable of doing. I will make some tweaks in training….There will definitely be more marathons in the future. Hopefully there can another before the end of the year.' In a social media post, McColgan shared: 'Can now add *Marathoner* to my resume! 💫 One of the hardest races I've ever done, but really proud of how I gritted it out to the finish. Scottish Record, Family Record, and British Champ. Not bad for a debut! 🙏 HUGE THANK YOU for the cheers around the course. It was truly insane!! The noise from people cheering at points was actually hurting my ears. London Marathon is truly special!' Netizens commented on the post and said: 'Just brilliant 🥳👏 well done 🔥 and the first of many with even greater successes ahead👏🏻🙌🏼', 'I cheered so hard for you as we passed just after Tower Bridge!! Amazing running', and 'Beyond incredible moment for you Eilish! Running legend 👏🏽👏🏽'
United News of India
28-04-2025
- Sport
- United News of India
Marathon one of the best experiences of my life: Alex Yee
London, Apr 28 (UNI) Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee says his London Marathon debut was "one of the best experiences" of his life despite suffering more "dark moments" than during his victory at the Paris Games. The 27-year-old finished 14th in the men's elite race in a time of two hours 11 minutes and eight seconds. Yee, who also became triathlon world champion in October fewer than 12 weeks after his Olympic win, was the second-fastest Briton behind Mahamed Mahamed, who finished ninth. "It was probably one of the best experiences of my life if I'm being honest. I expected the crowd to be good but they were another level," Yee told BBC Sport. "I am so proud to have completed the marathon. "An amazing experience but it was hard at the end. Emotions about [the] time will come afterwards, but the main thing for me today was to enjoy it, do something unknown and embrace it. I did that to my best of my ability. "This is bigger than running. It's an amazing day and I wanted to be a part of it. This was the perfect opportunity." Asked how running a marathon compared to a triathlon, he added: "My legs have never been this sore. Physically they are quite similar but my legs have never felt like this in my whole life. It's a new experience definitely." Yee confirmed that the switch to the marathon would "definitely not" be a permanent one as he plans to try and defend his Olympic title in Los Angeles in 2028. "Definitely a lot more dark moments, I'd say, than Paris, today," he said. "Once I got to 32, 33k there's a lot of pain there. My legs are cramping and I just had to keep fighting through that." UNI BM
Indian Express
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Triathlon Paris Olympics gold medallist finishes 14th at London Marathon, enduring ‘dark moments'
Alex Yee, the Londoner who won the triathlon gold medal at Paris Olympics decided to fulfill a childhood dream when he entered to compete at the London Marathon on Sunday. But he said he endured more 'dark moments' on his 42.195 km run debut than during his Olympic triathlon-title in Paris. He still declared it an experience of a lifetime, after ending 14th amongst elite athletes and second amongst British athletes, behind Maha met Mahamet. The 27-year-old Londoner completed the race in two hours, 11 minutes and eight seconds. 'It was seriously tough,' said Yee, 'but probably one of the best moments in my life. Just the feeling of everyone, that experience, I can't really put into words. The experience of running into London, the crowds,' he said of the highs. However it was a testing run. 'Definitely a lot more dark moments, I'd say, more than Paris, today. Once I got to 32, 33k there's a lot of pain there. My legs are cramping and I just had to keep fighting through that. And yeah, (I'm) pretty proud to get to the finish line,' he added. Yee told the media he has a 'hard reset' in February, when he returns to triathlon ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. 'Hopefully I will evolve as a person, as an athlete. I wanted to do that in a unique way. I wanted to do this race all my life, the opportunity fell to do it, and I couldn't say no,' he said of the effort less than a year after winning Olympic gold in the triathlon. 'It was was probably one of the best experiences of my life if I'm being honest. I expected the crowd to be good but they were another level. I am so proud to have completed the marathon,' he reiterated. 'An amazing experience but it was hard at the end. I am just proud to have done it. Emotions about time will come afterwards, but the main thing for me today was to enjoy it, do something unknown and embrace it. I did that to my best of my ability. I feel like I gave 100% This is bigger than running. It's an amazing day and I wanted to be a part of it. This was the perfect opportunity.' There is curiosity over whether he will go easy on the three event triathlon for the more soul nourishing marathons. 'Definitely not,' he told BBC. 'I am still hoping for LA Olympics. This is just an experiment really to help me improve my run. I've worked hard over the years to improve my bike and swim to get to that level so it's nice to be able to work on this now,' he said.
