Emile Cairess’s ambition of becoming the fastest British runner over 26.2 miles has been put on hold after an ankle injury forced him to withdraw from the London Marathon.
Cairess, who finished third in last year’s race before securing fourth place at the Paris Olympics, had set his sights on breaking the British marathon record of 2 hours, 5 minutes, and 11 seconds. However, due to an ongoing ankle tendon issue, he will now miss April’s event.
“I was really looking forward to racing the world’s best marathon runners and to build on the progress I have made over the marathon distance,” said the 27-year-old. “It is an absolutely stacked elite men’s field at this year’s event, which makes it a really hard one to miss. But, unfortunately, a setback in my buildup has persisted, significantly impacting the consistency of training required to be at my best. My focus now is recovering properly, getting back to full training, and returning to racing as soon as possible.”
Cairess burst onto the marathon scene in 2023, becoming the fastest British debutant of all time with a time of 2:08:07. He improved on that in last year’s London Marathon, clocking 2:06:46, making a challenge for the national record a realistic target. His absence will be a disappointment to British fans eager to see him compete against a formidable field of elite runners.
The men’s race this year features an exceptionally strong lineup, including new world half-marathon record-holder Jacob Kiplimo, defending champion Alex Mutiso, former world record-holder Eliud Kipchoge, and Olympic champion Tamirat Tola. With such a competitive roster, Cairess was set to face one of the toughest tests of his career, making his withdrawal even more frustrating.
In the women’s race, the elite field is equally impressive. World-record holder Ruth Chepngetich, Olympic champion Sifan Hassan, and former world record-holder Tigst Assefa are among the leading contenders. British interest in the event remains high, with Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee and Commonwealth 10,000m champion Eilish McColgan both making their marathon debuts.
Meanwhile, Kenyan marathon runner Brimin Kipkorir has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for the banned blood booster EPO. Kipkorir’s achievements include winning the Sydney Marathon in 2024 with a course-record time of 2:06:18, as well as victories in the Frankfurt Marathon in 2022 and 2023.
The London Marathon remains one of the most anticipated races on the calendar, and while Cairess’s absence is a blow for British hopes, the event still promises an exciting battle among the world’s best distance runners.
