Alex Yee is set to compete in the London Marathon this Sunday. The Olympic gold medallist has spoken about his training regime and diet, revealing that he relies on the humble banana to get himself race-ready.
Yee’s Marathon Journey and Preparation
Yee claimed victory in the men’s individual triathlon at the Paris Olympics. He only ran his debut competitive marathon in 2025. Despite limited experience over the 26.2-mile distance, the 28-year-old already sits second on the British all-time list behind Sir Mo Farah and is set to return to action in his home city this weekend.
Yee secured individual silver and team gold at the 2020 Olympics. He then hunted down New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde to seal glory in Paris. Afterwards, he explained how he primes himself for competition.
“I have a very specific pre-race routine that I’ve practiced over the last 18 months of racing, which involves taking some carbs in on the bike and then a gel during the run and a few other gels during the race,” Yee said in 2024.
He uses a supplement called Bicarb to help with lactate. “It’s been used for years in track cycling and rowing and really short, sharp events, but people are starting to find benefit within endurance events.”
The Power of the Banana
Yee also emphasises the importance of staple foods alongside fine-tuning his training regime. He relies on bananas, which cost as little as 16p.
“The other critical thing is having enough carbs and making sure you eat quite plain foods before the race,” he added. “I’ll have plain rice with some honey and banana the morning of the race.
- Plain rice with honey and banana before the race
- Plain white rice with chicken or salmon in the days before
“And then the days before the race, I was having plain white rice with one protein source – chicken or salmon or something like that. It’s just safe food without any risk of discomfort.”
Health Benefits Beyond the Marathon
Bananas can help lower blood pressure, making them beneficial for everyone. Professor Anita Layton, of the University of Waterloo, Canada, said that adding more potassium-rich foods to your diet, such as bananas or broccoli, might have a greater positive impact.
Yee’s example may be something fans will want to follow.