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Alistair Brownlee not ruling out 2018 Commonwealth Games marathon

The 28-year-old is already taking the next two years to pursue long distance triathlon, but has often said he'd like to compete in running events, too.

Alistair Brownlee

By Claire Duncan

Two-time Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee has suggested he may consider running the marathon at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.

In an interview with Press Association Sport, Brownlee said: “I could look to running (the marathon). I definitely want to run a marathon at some point – not definitely at Gold Coast, but possibly. I haven’t decided about the Commonwealth Games. Obviously it’s a big thing in triathlon but I’ve been fortunate to win that before and I’m not sure yet whether I’m going to be there in Gold Coast or not.”

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The older Brownlee has announced he’s stepping back from ITU racing for the next two years to pursue long-distance triathlon. He’s planning to race the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Chattanooga, Tenn. this September and is ultimately eyeing the Ironman World Championship. The marathon would be his first attempt at a pure running race on the world stage, as he had once been aiming for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in the 10,000m event but ended his bid due to injury. In 2013, Brownlee ran 28:32 for 10,000m at the Payton Jordan Invitational.

In 2015, Brownlee told The Guardian he thought he could run somewhere in the 2:10 to 2:15 range for the marathon — enough to “hit the England Athletics qualification standard.”

According to Daily Mail, Brownlee will need to qualify for his country’s team before October of this year if he wants to race the marathon next year.

Brownlee’s most recent multisport race was at the inaugural Super League Triathlon earlier this month where he finished close to last after falling ill.

He is expected to make his Ironman 70.3 debut at the North American championships in St. George, Utah later this spring in May.

With files from Press Association. This article originally appeared at triathlonmagazine.ca.

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