Four-time Ironman world champion to run the 2017 London Marathon

Triathlon legend Chrissie Wellington announced over Twitter that she'll be running the 2017 London Marathon in April.

Chrissie Wellington

One of triathlon’s all-time greats announced plans to run the 2017 London Marathon. Four-time Ironman world champion Chrissie Wellington tweeted the news on Tuesday, citing the iconic April 23 race as a source of inspiration for her career in endurance sport.

Wellington, 39, was the Kona, Hawaii course record holder until Mirinda Carfrae lowered it in 2013. She currently holds the Challenge Roth, a popular 226.2-kilometre triathlon in Germany, course record and overall full distance world record. She retired from professional triathlon in 2012 and has since been involved in international development, specifically helping children in developing nations benefit from sport.

The accomplished triathlete is also the head of participation with ParkRun UK, an organization which puts on free, timed 5K events. Park runs are open to the community and they’re beginning to gain traction in parts of Canada.

RELATED: Kate Middleton chirps Prince William for aspiring to run marathon.

Her fastest marathon time in a full distance race was at Challenge Roth in 2011 when she ran 2:44:35, a time that would be competitive in the men’s field of most full distance triathlons. The top women in London will run somewhere in the 2:20-2:25 range.

How fast will Wellington run in London?

She replied to a tweet regarding the announcement saying that she’s “keeping the goal realistic with a kid and job,” and she “just wants to enjoy the process and event, without smashing [herself].”

RELATED: Krista DuChene to run the 2017 London Marathon.

This is the second time in the past year that a notable professional triathlete has raced a marathon. Rio Olympic triathlon champion Gwen Jorgensen raced the New York City Marathon last November, where she placed 14th in 2:41:01. In Canadian-related London Marathon news, Krista DuChene announced recently that she will be doing London, considered one of the fastest courses in the world.

This article originally appeared in Triathlon Magazine Canada.

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