Good luck to Leeds Beckett community athletes at the 2025 London Marathon

Among those lining up are former student Olympian Alex Yee, who is taking on his first London Marathon. Alex became the most decorated Olympic triathlete of all time after his gold win in Paris 2024, following his success in Tokyo 2020.

We're also proud to support elite endurance athletes through the Leeds Talent Hub - a high-performance development programme forged from a long-standing partnership between the Beckett Sport and England Athletics, supported by the sports science team in the Carnegie School of Sport.

Two such athletes are Phil Sesemann, Olympian and regular top ten finisher in the iconic race and Phillipa Bowden, both of whom are members of the England Athletics Senior Pathway Programme, supported by the Leeds Talent Hub.

Also representing the Hub are Sarah Potter and Alumna Heather Townsend, who have both been training with the Hub performance group, targeting sub-2:30:00 marathon times, and supported by specialist group Strength and Conditioning and nutrition guidance.

From our wider training community, Leeds Beckett staff member Dr Graham Rush, Lecturer in BSc Geography and BSc Geography and Environmental Science, will also be racing, taking on his second marathon. Current Leeds Talent Hub coach Ian Mitchell, who previously studied and worked at Leeds Beckett, will also be taking on the London course.

Rounding out the line-up is Matthew Grieve, a graduate of our BA (Hons) Physical Education teaching and coaching course, who is tackling his marathon debut after training at Leeds Beckett.

Best of luck to everyone participating in the London Marathon!

Take a look behind the scenes of Phil's preparation for the Olympic marathon in Paris.