Vassos Alexander
{{short description|English sports reporter, presenter, author, and endurance runner}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Vassos Alexander
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| birth_name =
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| birth_place = London, UK
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| occupation = Sports reporter, radio presenter and writer
| years_active = 2004-present
| known_for = The Chris Evans Breakfast Show
| notable_works = *Don't Stop Me Now: 26.2 Tales of a Runner's Obsession
- Running up that Hill
- How to Run a Marathon: The Go-to Guide for Anyone and Everyone
}}
Vassos Alexander Georgiadis is a British sports reporter, presenter, author and endurance runner. He is currently the sports presenter of The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio.{{cite news|work=Metro|url=https://www.metro.news/vassos-alexanders-london-home-is-within-running-distance-of-virgin-radio/1421532/ |title = Vassos Alexander's London home is in running distance from Virgin Radio|access-date=13 May 2020|publisher=Associated Newspapers|first=Andrew|last=Williams|date=4 February 2019}} Alexander hosted the parkrun podcast, he is a motivational speaker and serves as an ambassador for the young person's charity SkillForce.{{cite web|title=Team SkillForce Run the 2016 London Marathon|publisher=SkillForce|url=http://www.skillforce.org/news/2016/04/team-skillforce-run-2016-london-marathon/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170930222451/http://www.skillforce.org/news/2016/04/team-skillforce-run-2016-london-marathon/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=30 September 2017|date=28 April 2016}}
Broadcasting career
From 2011, Alexander was the sports presenter on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/4VvrY7VNZ1WGL9KG2NFwR2L/vassos-alexander |title=Vassos Alexander|work=The Chris Evans Breakfast Show - About The Team |publisher=BBC Radio 2 |access-date=20 April 2020}} In January 2019, Alexander along with Chris Evans, and several members of the BBC Radio 2 team moved to the Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio, where Alexander continued in his role as the sports reporter and side kick presenter.{{Cite web|url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2018/11/chris-evans-to-move-his-radio-2-team-to-virgin-radio/|title=Chris Evans to move his Radio 2 team to Virgin Radio|work=RadioToday|access-date=20 April 2020|first=Roy|last=Martin|date=15 November 2018 }}
He has also worked on Radio 5 Live as a presenter, reported and commentated on BBC Television, Channel 4, BT Sport and Eurosport. He has reported on six Olympic Games for BBC Sport and has commentated on tennis, golf, diving and darts.{{cite web |title=Vassos Alexander |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/4VvrY7VNZ1WGL9KG2NFwR2L/vassos-alexander |website=BBC |access-date=10 November 2020}}
Podcasts
From April 2018 until it ceased in May 2022 Alexander was the co-host of 'free weekly timed', a podcast about parkrunning. Alexander is a parkrunner and co-hosted the podcast with Helen Williams.{{Cite web|url=http://www.freeweeklytimed.com/|title=Free Weekly Timed the podcast; It's a parkrun thing|last=Alexander|first=Vassos|date=2019|work=Free Weekly Times|access-date=20 April 2020}}{{Cite web | url=http://www.parkrun.com |title = Home We organise free weekly timed runs all over the world. Held in pleasant parkland on weekend mornings, our runs are open to all – from juniors and first timers to Olympians and octogenarians|access-date=20 April 2020}}
Running
Alexander has competed in ultra-marathons, including the 153-mile Spartathalon{{Cite web | url=https://www.spartathlon.gr/en/races/races/athlete/4470.html |title = Alexander Vassos|access-date=20 April 2020|publisher=Spartathlon}} and ironman triathlons.{{cite web|publisher=Centurion Running|access-date=20 April 2020|url=http://www.centurionrunning.com/reports/2016/sdw100-2016-race-report|title=SDW100 2016 Race Report|date=15 June 2016}} He has run over 50 road marathons and has a sub-3-hour personal best.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/body/confessions-accidental-ultra-runner/|title=Confessions of an accidental ultra runner|last=Alexander|first=Vassos|date=22 March 2018|work=The Telegraph|access-date=20 April 2020|issn=0307-1235}}{{Cite web | url=https://www.runultra.co.uk/Articles/May-2019/Ten-Questions-With-Vassos-Alexander.aspx |title = Ten Questions with Vassos Alexander|publisher=RunUltra Endurance|access-date=20 April 2020|work=RunUltra|date=10 May 2019|first1=Luke|last1=Jarmey|first2=Dan|last2=Stinton}}
Author
Alexander has written three books on running.
- {{cite book|last1=Alexander|first1=Vassos|title=Don't Stop Me Now: 26.2 Tales of a Runner's Obsession|date=2016|publisher=Bloomsbury Sport|isbn=9781472921536}} - a celebration of running in 26.2 chapters
- {{cite book | last=Alexander | first=Vassos | title=Running Up That Hill, the highs and lows of going that bit further | publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing | date=2018-05-08 | isbn=978-1-4729-4796-3}} - explores what lies beyond the marathon finish line
- {{Cite book |last=Alexander |first=Vassos |title=How to Run a Marathon: The Go-to Guide for Anyone and Everyone |publisher=HarperCollins |year=2021 |isbn=9780008377229}}
References
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Category:English sports journalists
Category:English non-fiction writers