The Third Place Finisher at the London Marathon Didn’t Wear a Running Watch
Going old school has made Emile Cairess the best talent Great Britain has to offer for Paris 2024
The last two weeks have been a paradise for fans of distance running. The Boston Marathon was incredible, showcasing breathtaking talent from the world’s best. A gutsy solo run from first place Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia and a world-record 5k split in the women’s race from Kenya’s Hellen Obiri made this year's iteration of the historic event one of the most legendary yet.
I’m not here to talk about Boston, however. The warm weather and fortuitous tailwind pushing runners up Heartbreak Hill made for some fantastic breakthroughs and inspiring stories. Still, I can’t help but be drawn to one particular athlete in this year’s London Marathon first.
I’ve been slow to pick up on the amazing talent of Emile Cairess. He first came up on my radar this time last year, finishing in an impressive sixth place overall at the 2023 London Marathon. He was also the top GB athlete to cross the line. Keep in mind that this race featured an insanely stacked field including the late great Kelvin Kiptim, Geoffrey Kamworor, and Tamirat Tola. This only makes this breakthrough performance even more astounding.
