LONDON: Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee has been confirmed as a pacemaker at the 2026 TCS London Marathon on Sunday 26 April where he will be tasked with pacing Emile Cairess, the leading British athlete in the field.

Yee will be returning a favour to Cairess who paced him for 21 miles at last December’s Valencia Marathon and helped the triathlon star to finish in a time of 2:06:38 – the second fastest time ever by a British athlete.

Yee said: “Emile is a great runner, and he was a massive help to me at last year’s Valencia Marathon, both during my training block beforehand and pacing on the day. My hope is that I can repay him for that help by supporting him as much as I can at this year’s TCS London Marathon and play some part in helping him achieve his ambitions.”

Cairess, who was fourth in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games marathon, is the third-fastest Brit of all time over 26.2-mile distance with a personal best (PB) of 2:06:46.

Yee made his full TCS London Marathon debut in 2025 when he finished as the second British finisher and 14th overall in 2:11:08 in what is his home-town marathon.

Yee said: “It was an incredible experience to race the TCS London Marathon last year. As a Londoner, I thought I knew what to expect, but the crowds, the support and the atmosphere was more impressive than I ever imagined. Even though I won’t be doing the full 26.2 miles again this year, I’m looking forward to soaking up the experience again.”

Other confirmed TCS London Marathon pacemakers this year include Alex Bell, the recent winner of the GetPRO Bath Half who has been named in the Great Britain team for the World Athletics Road Running Championships half marathon in Copenhagen in September.

Male pacemakers at the head of the field will include Oscar Kiplimo, the older brother of Jacob Kiplimo, who was a bronze medallist in the 5,000m at the 2022 World Championship, and Andrea Kiptoo who is a training partner of defending champion Sabastian Sawe.

Elite field updates

A number of British athletes have withdrawn from the 2026 TCS London Marathon. In the men’s race, Marc Scott and George James have withdrawn, while in the women’s field, Abbie Donnelly, Charlotte Purdue and Natasha Wilson are all out. Also withdrawing is Spain’s Laura Luengo. They follow the withdrawal of Sifan Hassan (NED), the reigning Olympic marathon champion and 2023 TCS London Marathon winner.

A new addition to the elite women’s field is Eunice Chebichii Chumba who is Bahrain’s national record holder with a personal best of 2:20:02.

2026 TCS London Marathon elite fields (Updated: March 31)

Elite Women

Tigst Assefa (ETH, PB 2:11:53)
Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN, 2:14:00)
Peres Jepchirchir (KEN, 2:14:43)
Hellen Obiri (KEN, 2:17:41)
Degitu Azimeraw (ETH, 2:17:58)
Eunice Chebichii Chumba (KEN, 2:20:02)
Catherine Reline Amanang’ole (KEN, 2:20:34)
Balemelay Shumet (ETH, 2:21:59)
Rose Harvey (GBR, 2:23:21)
Florencia Borelli (ARG, 2:24:18)
Eilish McColgan (GBR, 2:24:25)
Jessica Warner-Judd (GBR, 2:24:45)
Fadouwa Ledhem (FRA, 2:25:50)
Marta Galimany (ESP, 2:26:14)
Lucy Reid (GBR, 2:26:35)
Julia Paternain (URU, 2:27:09)
Louise Small (GBR, 2:27:48)
Alice Wright (GBR, 2:28:48)
Verity Hopkins (GBR, 2:31:19)
Pacemakers

Anchinalu Dessie (ETH)
Miriam Chebet (KEN)
Tsigie Gebreselama (ETH)
Ludwina Chepngetich (KEN)
Alexandra Bell (GBR)
Gladys Kwamboka (KEN)
Rebecca Mwangi (KEN)
Lily Partridge (GBR)
Samantha Harrison (GBR)
Clara Evans-Graham (GBR)
Elite Men

Sabastian Sawe (KEN, PB 2:02:05)
Jacob Kiplimo (UGA, 2:02:23)
Deresa Geleta (ETH, 2:02:38)
Amos Kipruto (KEN, 2:03:13)
Tamirat Tola (ETH, 2:03:39)
Amanal Petros (GER, 2:04:03)
Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN, 2:04:23)
Joshua Cheptegei (UGA, 2:04:52)
Shunya Kikuchi (JPN, 2:06:06)
Emile Cairess (GBR, 2:06:46)
Mahamed Mahamed (GBR, 2:07:05)
Philip Sesemann (GBR, 2:07:10)
Hassan Chahdi (FRA, 2:07:30)
Adam Lipschitz (RSA, 2:08:54)
Patrick Dever (GBR, 2:08:58)
Peter Lynch (IRL, 2:09:36)
Tim Vincent (AUS, 2:09:40)
Weynay Ghebresilasie (GBR, 2:09:50)
Tewelde Menges (GBR, 2:09:58)
Liam Boudin (AUS, 2:10:28)
Jake Smith (GBR, 2:11:00)
Jack Rowe (GBR, 2:12:31)
Andrew Fyfe (GBR, 2:13:20)
Alex Milne (GBR, 2:14:03)
Peter Le Grice (GBR, 2:14:45)
Sean Hogan (GBR, 2:14:51)
Jake Barraclough (GBR, 2:14:55)
Christopher Thomas (GBR, 2:14:55)
Chris Perry (GBR, 2:14:57)
David Bishop (GBR, 2:15:16)
Charlie Sandison (GBR, 2:15:38)
William Mycroft (GBR, 2:15:54)
Yomif Kejelcha (ETH, Debut)
Hagos Gebrhiwet (ETH, Debut)
Isaia Kipkoech Lasoi (KEN, Debut)
Alfie Manthorpe (GBR, Debut)
Pacemakers

Andrea Kiptoo (KEN)
Nibret Melask (ETH)
Oscar Chelimo (UGA)
Dennis Kipruto (KEN)
Alex Yee (GBR)
Shadrack Kimming (KEN)
Amos Kipkurui Langat (KEN)
Reuben Rono (KEN)
Ismael Kiprono (KEN)
Ben Connor (GBR)
Benard Kiprop (KEN)
Jonny Mellor (GBR)
Ollie Lockley (GBR)
Adam Clarke (GBR)
Elite women wheelchair

Noemi Alphonse (MRI)
Christie Dawes (AUS)
Catherine Debrunner (SUI)
Madison de Rozario (AUS)
Vanessa De Souza (BRA)
Patricia Eachus (SUI)
Tatyana McFadden (USA)
Merle Menje (GER)
Tsubasa Nakamine (JPN)
Eden Rainbow-Cooper (GBR)
Manuela Schär (SUI)
Wakako Tsuchida (JPN)
Michelle Wheeler (USA)
Linden Williamson (USA)
Zhou Zhaoqian (CHN)
Tian Yajuan (CHN)
Elite men wheelchair

Rafael Botello Jiménez (ESP)
Josh Cassidy (CAN)
Evan Correll (USA)
Sean Frame (GBR)
Kota Hokinoue (JPN)
Marcel Hug (SUI)
Jin Hua (CHN )
Hiroki Kishizawa (JPN)
Simon Lawson (GBR)
Ludwig Malter (AUT)
Michael McCabe (GBR)
Patrick Monahan (IRL)
Hiroki Nishida (JPN)
Jetze Plat (NED)
Jason Robinson (USA)
Geert Schipper (NED )
Brian Siemann (USA)
JohnBoy Smith (GBR)
Tomoki Suzuki (JPN)
Luo Xingchuan (CHN)
Sho Watanabe (JPN)
David Weir (GBR)
ENDS