Britain's Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee sprinted to a blistering marathon debut, clocking 2 hours and 6 minutes and 38 seconds in Valencia - the second-fastest time by a Briton ever. Just four years on from his Olympic triumph in Paris, Yee proved himself capable of dominating the long-distance run as well as the shorter triathlon distance.
The talented 27-year-old finished seventh overall in the gruelling event, with only Mo Farah - the four-time Olympic champion - having shaved off precious seconds to claim an even faster finish. Meanwhile, Kenyan superstar John Korir outpaced Yee to take victory by nearly two and a half minutes, while German Amanal Petros claimed second place.
Having initially struggled in his competitive marathon debut at London, where he finished 14th with a time 4mins and 30secs slower, Yee made rapid strides to deliver an impressive performance. Though he has hinted that this could be the start of a permanent transition from triathlon to distance running for him, defending his Olympic title next year remains his primary focus.
On the other side of the starting line, Kenyan ace Joyciline Jepkosgei dominated the women's event in Valencia, posting an impressive victory time of 2 hours and 14 minutes flat.
The talented 27-year-old finished seventh overall in the gruelling event, with only Mo Farah - the four-time Olympic champion - having shaved off precious seconds to claim an even faster finish. Meanwhile, Kenyan superstar John Korir outpaced Yee to take victory by nearly two and a half minutes, while German Amanal Petros claimed second place.
Having initially struggled in his competitive marathon debut at London, where he finished 14th with a time 4mins and 30secs slower, Yee made rapid strides to deliver an impressive performance. Though he has hinted that this could be the start of a permanent transition from triathlon to distance running for him, defending his Olympic title next year remains his primary focus.
On the other side of the starting line, Kenyan ace Joyciline Jepkosgei dominated the women's event in Valencia, posting an impressive victory time of 2 hours and 14 minutes flat.