Emile Cairess has withdrawn from the 2026 TCS London Marathon because of a calf injury, ending what had been shaping up as the most anticipated British record attempt in years. The news, confirmed on 15 April, means he will miss the race for the second year in a row.
Cairess sits third on the British all-time list with a personal best of 2:06:46. Only Sir Mo Farah (2:05:11) and Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee (2:06:38) have gone faster. For months, the 28-year-old had been seen as the best placed to finally break Farah’s mark when London rolls out on Sunday 26 April.
That plan has fallen apart. Cairess picked up the calf problem earlier in his training block and it hung around through March. Despite trying to manage it, he has accepted he cannot get to the start line in the shape he wants.
“I am gutted to be withdrawing from the 2026 TCS London Marathon,” Cairess said in a statement released by race organisers. “After missing the 2025 race, I was so excited at the prospect of returning this year, but out of respect to both the race and the distance, I only want to be on the Start Line if I’m in the best possible condition.”
He added: “Unfortunately, the calf issue I sustained earlier in my training block means I am not currently where I need to be. I’ve done my best to be on the Start Line but unfortunately, I have to make the tough decision to withdraw. I wish everyone taking part the very best of luck and hope to be back at the TCS London Marathon next year.”
This is the second consecutive year injury has kept Cairess out of London. He missed the 2025 race with an ankle tendon issue. Before that, 2024 had been a breakthrough season. He finished third in London and went on to place fourth at the Paris Olympics, confirming his status as the most serious British marathoner of his generation.
A Full Circle Moment That Will Not Happen
There was a neat symmetry to this year’s plan. Cairess had been set to be paced through London by Yee, the Olympic triathlon champion who ran 2:06:38 at Valencia last December. At that race, Cairess was the one doing the pacing, carrying Yee through 21 miles of what turned into a stunning debut over the distance. The favour was about to be returned. Instead, Yee’s pacing duties and Cairess’s record tilt are both off the table.
Sesemann And Mahamed Now Carry British Hopes
British attention shifts to two other men from the same training group. Phil Sesemann, who trains alongside both Yee and Cairess, ran 2:07:11 at Valencia last year to move fifth on the British all-time list. Mahamed Mahamed is one place above him at 2:07:05. Neither is expected to threaten Farah’s record in London, but both will be chasing personal bests in a deep field.
At the sharp end, the race for the win looks like a two-man contest. Defending champion Sabastian Sawe of Kenya returns to defend his title. He will be pushed hard by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, who holds the half marathon world record and is widely tipped to make an immediate impact at the full distance. For a full look at this year’s field, see the remarkable faces toeing the line at the 2026 TCS London Marathon.
The women’s race has also lost one of its biggest names. World champion Peres Jepchirchir pulled out earlier in the week after a stress fracture disrupted her build-up.
The 2026 TCS London Marathon takes place on Sunday 26 April.
