Team GB Olympic hope Emile Cairess finishes third in the London Marathon behind Alexander Munyao and Kenenisa Bekele, as 26-year-old becomes first Brit since Sir Mo Farah in 2018 to make the podium

Emile Cairess has run the second fastest British marathon time ever to finish third at the London Marathon in an Olympic qualifying time of 2:06.46. 

Kenya's Alexander Munyao eased to victory, 14 seconds ahead of Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele, with Cairess in third and fellow Brit Mahamed Mahamed in fourth - while also qualifying for the 2024 Olympics. 

Cairess became the first British man to finish on the podium at the London Marathon since Sir Mo Farah back in 2018 - with the four-time Olympic Gold medallist the only Brit to have set a faster marathon time. 

Yorkshireman Cairess finished sixth last year and dedicated his race to a cousin who was in a car crash a couple of months ago.

Cairess said: 'I felt good but it was windy. I stuck to my race plan to move into third place. I'm really proud of that. It pretty much means I'm selected for the team, I'll definitely be there.

'I needed to do another marathon before the Olympics, it's a risk that paid of. I don't think I had the fitness for the British record.'

The Paris Olympics are a little over three months away, so the high finishes, and qualifying time, are ideal preparation for the 2024 Games.

Sir Mo's run of 2:05:11 at the Chicago Marathon six years ago remains the benchmark for British marathon running.

Cairess told Athletics Weekly before the race that he was not expecting records this weekend, but expressed confidence at bettering Farah's time 'fairly soon'. 

'I think I can beat that time at some point,' Cairess revealed. 'In the future I want to go quite a bit faster than it and I want to be competitive in races like the London Marathon and the Olympics.

'A marathon takes time, though. Even if your training has gone well, you can’t do this time or that time, you have to take it slowly. It’s a process. I have to be patient.'

Before the start of the 26.2 mile race, marathon runners paid tribute to last year's winner Kelvin Kiptum, after the Kenyan athlete was killed in a car crash earlier this year aged 24. 

Kiptum died alongside his Rwandan coach Gervais Hakizimana, 37, in a road accident in his homeland on February 11.

Cairess said: 'Many people thought they would never see a sub two-hour marathon in their lifetimes but since he [Kiptum] came along, it's like it was just a given that he would do it because of his exceptional performances so far.

'It was almost certain that he would have done it. It's terribly sad and a real shame that we won't get to see him again or to attack that barrier.'

For winning the 2024 race, Kenyan Munyao will earn $55,000 (£44,120.45), over £20,000 more than Bekele will pick up for his second-placed finish ($30,000 (£24,069.30)). 

Cairess takes home $22,500 (£18,051.98) for his impressive run finishing third, whilst Mahamed gets $15,000 (£12,034.65) after coming in fourth place. 

The London Marathon sees 50,000 take to the streets of the British capital, with many part of athletics clubs up and down the country, or those who are running for good causes close to their heart.

Manchester United's new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is also running the London Marathon - before dashing across the capital to see his team play Coventry City in the semi-finals of the FA Cup at Wembley.