Emile Cairess had no idea he was set for a podium finish in Sunday’s London Marathon until he heard it over the public address system.
Cairess, tipped to be the next Mo Farah on the road, was the top Brit in the men’s race as he climbed his way through the field in the latter stages to take third in 2:06.46.
It was the second quickest marathon time by a British man, after Farah’s mark of 2:05.11.
After what was his second marathon after his debut in London a year ago, he said of his podium finish: “I heard it over the Tannoy. I passed about four people around the 39km mark and thought I’d already passed a few from the front group. I was like, ‘There can’t be many more left, so I must be in a decent position’. When I heard I was third, it was a great feeling.”
The result booked Cairess’s place at the Paris Olympics.