London Marathon live: Emile Cairess dedicates third place finish to cousin after coma ordeal; winner of women's race breaks world record (2024)

By Sadiya Chowdhury, correspondent

Tilly Gerra is running her first London Marathon and she's in good hands - her guide runner is on his 15th overall marathon and his ninth in London.

The pair teamed up last year when Tilly, who is completely blind, was looking for someone to run with.

"I was born with a condition which means that my eyes are a lot smaller than normal. They didn't develop properly, so I have no sight at all," Tilly told Sky News.

The 19-year-old said her condition had never stopped her before, and described her family's reaction to her decision to run the London Marathon.

"For me, it's just normal. My parents treated me the same as everyone else. My dad showed me how to ride a bike because he thought I want to treat her like all my other children, and they never stopped me from doing anything," she says.

"They've all been really supportive and really encouraging. I think my mum's probably more stressed than I am about me running the marathon, but she's been a really big help, making sure I'm prepared for my running."

Tilly's guide runner is Peter Rodwell, who had just completed a course in guide-running when he was approached by Tilly last summer.

"Guide running means helping Tilly navigate the obstacles of the course. I have to tell her where the trees are, where we're turning left and right, when we're going uphill, downhill, onto level ground. She tends to listen to a podcast or music instead of me. But touchwood, we've never had a tumble," he says.

Peter explains that he runs side-by-side with Tilly and then lets her cross the finish line first.

He says: "We did a 5k race and we were coming up to the finish line, and I actually went across the line in front of her, and there was a fellow from English Athletics there, and he came up to me and he said, 'excuse me guide. Next time you race, can your runner cross the line first and not you'. So I've got to hold on."

Tilly and Peter set a target to finish today's London Marathon in just under six hours.

"I've only been running for five months," Tilly says.

"I think I'm just happy to finish on such an amazing course as London that's really rich in its history."

McFly drummer and former Strictly Come Dancing champion Harry Judd ran for The Children’s Trust.

He completed the course in three hours 23 minutes and 40 seconds.

Speaking during the race, he said: "The atmosphere is amazing.

"The crowds are out in their thousands, and loads of amazing runners have charities donned on their t-shirts."

Former health secretary and I’m A Celebrity contestant Matt Hanco*ck was among those to complete the gruelling course.

The West Suffolk MP, who lost the Tory whip over his appearance on the reality show, is stepping down at the next election.

He completed the 26.2-mile race in three hours 55 minutes and 37 seconds.

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe completed his eighth London Marathon before heading to Wembley to watch his team take on Coventry for a place in the FA Cup final.

If you thought running the marathon dressed as a tap might alienate you from all the other participants, you'd be sorely mistaken.

We've seen some other bizarre records broken today alongside the fastest marathon dressed as a tap.

Here are just a few of our favourites, courtesy of Guinness World Records.

Speaking of world record breakers, we've got another one for you now in Marcus Mumford (not the singer).

The 45-year-old from Worcester has run the fastest marathon while dressed as a tap, adding to his accolade of fastestrun dressed as a toilet in 2014.

"I’m working my way around the bathroom items," Marcus said, adding: "People didn’t really know what I was.

"I was called a weather vane, or a radio station..."

He said the run was for Water Aid – "a fantastic charity."

More reaction now from a race winner, and this time it's new world record holder Peres Jepchirchir.

The reigning Olympic champion crushed the women's-only record, crossing the finish line in 2:16:16 to break Mary Keitany's mark of 2:17:01.

The 30-year-old Kenyan said she expected a fast race and for the record to get beaten, but added she "was not expecting it to be me".

"It's because I believe in myself," she said.

"As I crossed the finish line, I thought about how grateful I am for this to be my last event representing Kenya before I head to Paris [for the Olympics]. I now know I have a great chance to defend my title in Paris."

Emile Cairess said his remarkable third place finish was for his cousin, who was left in a coma after a car crash earlier this year.

Cairess, who finished in the second fastest time by a British man - in two hours, six minutes and 46 seconds - said his immediate thoughts were with his 22-year-old cousin, Oliver Burton.

He said he was still in hospital after being in a coma for a month, but came out of intensive care a few days ago.

"He's my little cousin, like a little brother to me, and a couple of months ago he was in a bad accident," he said.

"It was so stressful, it was touch and go at some points but he’s made a fantastic recovery in the last couple of weeks.

"This morning I was really emotional. Hopefully I've made him proud today."

The run is expected to have cemented Cairess' place in the GB Olympic team this summer.

We're starting to see runners cross the finish line in droves now, as we near four hours since the majority began.

Here's a look at those who have already finished.

Most have their foil capes draped around them as they treat themselves to a well-earned rest.

When it comes to the marathon, even the most bizarre and impractical costumes tend to have an admirable purpose to them.

This can certainly be said of the rhino suit being donned by David McNab.

David has set himself the rather niche goal of running the fastest marathon in a rhino costume to raise funds for Save the Rhino International.

The current rhino costume record stands at four hours six minutes, he told the PA news agency.

"I worked as a ranger in South Africa for a long time so I know the trouble that rhinos are in," he said.

"They need all of the help they can get, and it’s a really cool thing to do, I think."

He said the costume weighs about 10kg and, rather predictably, is "a little bit uncomfortable".

"It's going to be a big challenge, but that’s part of it," he concluded.