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How they train

How Emile
Cairess Trains.

Emile Cairess ran 2:06:46 in London and finished fourth at the Paris Olympic marathon. He is coached by Renato Canova. Here is how a British runner trains with one of the great marathon coaches.

Updated 5 November 2026

2:06:46

London 2024, 3rd

4th

Paris Olympic marathon

runs a day

Who is Emile Cairess

The short answer

Emile Cairess, born in 1997, is a British marathoner from Bradford. He finished third at the 2024 London Marathon in 2:06:46, the second-fastest marathon by a Briton after Mo Farah, and fourth at the Paris 2024 Olympic marathon. He is coached by Renato Canova.

Cairess coached himself for a period and built his mileage from around 70 to 90 miles a week before joining Canova. Injuries have hit his last two springs: he missed London in 2025 and withdrew from London 2026 with a calf problem.

How he trains

Analyses of his build before London 2024 describe a classic Canova marathon programme:

Twice a day, nearly every day. Roughly 15 to 20 miles a day through most of a 16-week build.
Specific endurance. Long sessions at 95 to 105 percent of marathon pace, getting longer closer to race day.
Long progressive runs. Runs that finish near marathon pace.
Easy running kept easy. The volume around the key sessions is slow.

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What UK marathoners can take from it

Make the last 8 weeks specific. More running near goal pace, in long runs and long intervals. Read Canova's method.
Build the base years first. Cairess built mileage over years before his breakthrough. See aerobic base.
Set an honest goal pace. Use the race time predictor from a recent half.
Listen to small injuries. Calf and lower-leg problems often start small. Back off early.

Sources: London Marathon results (2024); Olympic results (Paris 2024); Athletics Weekly interviews; Running Writings analysis of his 2024 London build with Renato Canova; London Marathon Events on his 2026 withdrawal. Run Mastery is a running coach, not a medical service.

Emile Cairess FAQ

Who coaches Emile Cairess?

Renato Canova, the Italian marathon coach.

What is Emile Cairess's marathon best?

2:06:46, from third place at the 2024 London Marathon.

How many miles does Emile Cairess run?

Analyses of his 2024 London build estimate about 15 to 20 miles a day, running twice a day nearly every day.

Did Emile Cairess run London 2026?

No. He withdrew with a calf injury in April 2026.

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1-on-1 coaching Train the method your way. → A plan built by hand around your week, updated every week from how your runs go. Keep learning Canova's method. → Specific endurance, explained. Keep learning The long run. → The session every marathon is built on. Free guides Browse all guides. → Find the next useful part of the Run Mastery method.