Emile Cairess has designs on eventually competing with the East African elite but the Yorkshireman says he will resist the temptation of joining the front pack in tomorrow’s London Marathon.
Cairess, who has spent much of the past six months training in Kenya, is taking on 26.2 miles for just the second time having run a stunning 2:08:07 debut last year.
His coach, Renato Canova, has claimed the 26-year-old is in 2:05 shape, fuelling talk of an assault on Mo Farah’s British record of 2:05:11 But Cairess is urging patience and his primary goal this weekend is a new personal best before turning attention to the Olympics.
He will set off looking to run at 2:06:30 pace, or three minutes flat per kilometre. And while there is a temptation to join the likes of Ethiopian duo Tamirat Tola and Leul Gebresilase, he says: “I’d love to go with them and see what happens but you have to take it step by step.
“You have to be patient. Getting to 2:02, 2:03 - you can’t just go from 2:08 even if you think it’s possible. In the future, yes. But maybe not right now.
“I’m trying to take a little bit each time. The best Europeans didn’t start out 2:03, 2:04 and winning medals. Step by step you have to get there.”
Last year’s sixth-placed finish was enough to be automatically selected for the Paris Games. But Cairess says it was a no-brainer to race this weekend - despite the risk of a bad performance potentially derailing his hopes.
Debutant Marc Scott, a world indoor bronze medalist over 3,000m, is aiming to run the qualification standard of 2:08:10, while Mahamed Mahamed needs to shave only 30 seconds off his best. That could pose a headache for selectors when they sit down next week and only two spots remain because Cairess’ training partner Phil Sesemann is already confirmed.
And while Cairess has been doing his best to ignore all the outside noise, he insists competing was always his only option.
“If I went to the Olympics having run one marathon in my career and that was 18 months before, I really don’t think that’s the best preparation,” he said. “You need more experience and that was a big factor. If I improve my PB it will change my mentality and perspective on things.”
Cairess also has a new tool in box compared to last hear: he will wear the Adidas Pro Evo 1 shoes, which carry a retail price of £450 and are recommended to last just one marathon. Tigist Assefa smashed the women's world record in September wearing the shoes, and Cairess said: "They’re an amazing shoe.
"I heard they were light but you wouldn’t believe how light. They managed to retain the foam so you get all the affects of the propulsion but it’s unbelievably light as well. It's next level."