These 44 Celebrities Have Run Marathons, Just Like Harry Styles
On March 2, Harry Styles swapped the sequins for running trainers (specifically, a pair of Nike Alpha Fly 3) to clock an impressive finish time of 3:24:07 at the 2025 Tokyo Marathon. What’s more, the pop sensation paced the whole race nearly perfectly, clocking 1:42:03 at the halfway mark, followed by a 1:42:04 split for the second half.
Although his sub-3:30 performance in Tokyo puts him among the faster celebrity marathoners, Styles is far from the first famous face to take on the distance. Here are some of the other stars who have crossed a marathon finish line…
Harry Judd, 3:14:37
McFly drummer and Strictly Come Dancing Winner Harry Judd has several things in common with Styles: his name, UK pop stardom and being a keen (and quick) runner. Judd has run the London Marathon four times, clocking some very respectable times, including a PB of 3:14:37 in 2022.
Cynthia Erivo, 3:35:36
Another musical talent with some impressive running performances under her belt is Wicked star Cynthia Erivo. The multi-award-winning British actress has enjoyed running since her student days at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has completed both the New York City Marathon and the London Marathon.
She ran the former in 2016 in a time of 3:57:07 and the latter in 2022 in 3:35:36. Achieving two sub-4:00 World Major Marathon finishes while navigating international musical stardom? Impressive.
Marcus Mumford, 3:51:25
Singer-songwriter and Mumford and Sons frontman Marcus Mumford ran the London Marathon in 2023 to raise money for The Grenfell Foundation, on which he sits as a Chairman of the board of trustees. The Grammy winner crossed the line in 3:51:25.
Pamela Anderson, 5:41:03
In 2013, Baywatch star and SAG-nominated actress Pamela Anderson swapped the sand for the streets of New York to run her first marathon. Fundraising for the J/P Haitian Relief Organization, the ‘90s icon was well clear of the sub-6:00 mark, with a time of 5:41:03.
Ethan Hawke, 4:25:30
Actor Ethan Hawke is another famous face to have run the New York City Marathon. The Glass Onion actor ran the famous 2015 race alongside his wife, Ryan, to raise money for charity, finishing in 4:25:30.
Oprah Winfrey, 4:29:15
After vowing to complete the Marine Corps marathon – the largest marathon in the world that doesn’t offer prize money – before turning 40, Winfrey took on the race in 1994. The host and TV producer completed the course in a very respectable time of 4:29:15. Not only that, Winfrey is also credited with inspiring lots of amateur runners to take on the marathon – a distance which many had previously deemed unattainable.
Diplo, 3:55:16
One of those people Winfrey inspired is American DJ and music producer Diplo – real name Thomas Wesley Pentz. Although he was only 16 years old at the time, Winfrey’s marathon effort clearly had a lasting effect on Pentz because his goal for the 2023 Los Angeles Marathon was to beat her time. Finishing in 3:55:16, Pentz was well clear. Oh, and one other thing – he told everybody that he had run the race while on the psychedelic drug LSD. What happened to trying nothing new on race day?
Pippa Middleton, 3:56:33
The Princess of Wales’s younger sister, Pippa Middleton, has competed in several sports, including swimming, cycling and skiing, but she’s also completed two impressive marathons. In 2015, Middleton finished the Safaricom Marathon in Kenya – an ambitious choice for a first marathon – in 3:56:33, placing her as the seventh woman overall.
Then, in 2016, Middleton ran the Great Wall of China Marathon in 4:54:51 – a time made all the more impressive by the course’s challenging conditions, including 85-degree heat and an 820-foot climb.
Karlie Kloss, 4:41:49
Supermodel Karlie Kloss took on the New York City Marathon in 2017, which she completed in 4:41:49. At the time, she told her Instagram followers it was the hardest thing she had ever done, which makes her sub-5:00 finish even more impressive.
Alicia Keys, 5:50:52
Alicia Keys joined nearly 50,000 runners through the "concrete jungle where dreams are made of" for the 2015 New York City Marathon. The race was the second attempt at 26.2 miles for the Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and actress. Keys wrote in a blog post on Refinery29, "I'm all about breaking mental boundaries, and training for a marathon falls right into the Jedi mind-training I need." Keys ran to raise funds for an organization she cofounded called Keep a Child Alive, which works to get HIV medications to children and families in Africa.
Phil Dunster, 4:03:11
Actor Phil Dunster ran his first London Marathon in 2024 to fundraise for Young Lives vs Cancer – the charity which supported Dunster’s family after his cousin Rory was diagnosed with a brain tumour aged just four months old. Dunster, who played football heartthrob, Jamie Tartt, in the much-loved sports-comedy Ted Lasso, crossed the line in 4:03:11.
Emma Barton and Jamie Borthwick, 6:37:05 and 6:37:07
We’re listing these two together because Eastenders stars Emma Barton and Jamie Borthwick ran the 2024 London Marathon together in a rather unique context. As well as being a personal challenge and accomplishment for the actors, they also ran the iconic race as part of an Eastenders storyline about Borthwick’s on-screen girlfriend Lola, who had been diagnosed with a brain tumour.
It involved Barton and Borthwick being in character for parts of the race – as if running it wasn’t enough. Their times were 6:37:05 and 6:37:07 respectively.
Romesh Ranganathan, 6:35:21
A patron of Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), comedian and TV presenter Romesh Ranganathan ran the 2024 London Marathon to raise money for and awareness of the mental health helpline charity. Ranganathan managed to cross the line in 6:35:21 – but says he wants to try and take a whopping three and a bit hours off his time for this year’s London Marathon, which he’s running in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust.
Eddie Izzard, 5:34
Comedian, activist and Emmy-winning actress Eddie Izzard has run a lot of marathons. In 2009, there were the 43 marathons in 51 days, and in 2016, Izzard ran 27 marathons in 27 days across South Africa for Sport Relief. Then, in 2021 – obviously a fan of back-to-back marathons – she ran 32 marathons in 31 days on a treadmill, raising more than £200,000.
As part of the 2016 challenge, Izzard ran her quickest marathon in a very respectable time of 5:34, and she also managed to complete two marathons in under 12 hours to reach the end of the challenge. However, when you’re running this many marathons, we think PBs are probably the least of your concerns.
Josh Patterson, Unknown
Another star we’ve seen take on incredible marathon challenges in recent years is mental health campaigner and former Made in Chelsea cast member Josh Patterson. In 2023, Patterson completed his ‘Run for 1 Million’ challenge in support of the charity Samaritans, which saw him run 76 marathons in 76 cities on consecutive days.
Kevin Sinfield, Unknown
Joining Izzard and Patterson in the consecutive marathon running is rugby union coach and former Leeds Rhinos rugby player Kevin Sinfield CBE. Ever since his good friend and former teammate Rob Burrow – who died in 2024 – was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND), Sinfield has been running marathons to raise awareness of the condition.
Most recently, Sinfield completed his ‘Running Home for Christmas’ challenge, which saw him run from Liverpool to Wrexham – covering more than 50K each day – in seven days to raise £777,777 for MND charities. We aren’t even sure what his marathon PB is at this point, but like with Patterson and Izzard, we’re not sure it really matters.
Gordon Ramsay, 3:30:37
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is a seasoned (no pun intended) marathoner. As well as having more than 15 marathons under his belt, Ramsay has completed three ultra-marathons, three half-Ironmans and two Ironman World Championships. His marathon PB appears to be from 2004 – when he ran the London Marathon in 3:30:37.
Joel Dommett, 5:19:19
Comedian and Masked Singer host Joel Dommett is a keen amateur runner and boasts a recent 5K PB of 18:27. He’s run multiple marathons and even taken on an ultra in Mexico, but Dommett says the focus right now is still to run a sub-3:00 marathon before turning 40.
In 2024, Dommett ran the London Marathon in 5:19:19 – but that was dressed in a piranha costume, which had been worn by Masked Singer winner Danny Jones. So, we can’t wait to see what he can achieve this year in regular running attire.
Natalie Pinkham, 4:52:22
In 2024, Sky Sports F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham made her marathon debut at none other than the London Marathon, fundraising for Samaritans with her run. Pinkham, who co-founded the Flackstock festival in memory of her good friend Caroline Flack, covered the 26.2 miles around the capital in a time of 4:52:22.
Chloe Meadows, 4:26:04
Another celebrity who made their marathon debut at the 2024 London Marathon was The Only Way Is Essex star Chloe Meadows. Having been diagnosed with Colitis six years prior, she ran the marathon in support of Crohn’s and Colitis UK, crossing the line in a time of 4:26:04.
Emily Clarkson, 5:09:15
Social media personality and podcaster Emily Clarkson was another celeb runner to take to the streets of London last April. Just 14 months after having a baby, she took 33 minutes off her previous PB to clock a time of 5:09:15.
Josh O’Connor, 3:50:10
Golden Globe-winning actor and star of the hit tennis drama film Challengers, Josh O’Connor, is another famous face to take on the London Marathon – and to have completed the course in under four hours. O’Connor completed the 2023 race in 3:50:10. We wonder if we’ll see him running again soon or whether tennis is his new number-one sport…
Sophie Raworth, 3:27:01
BBC journalist and broadcaster Sophie Raworth is no stranger to running marathons and ultramarathons. Raworth – who writes a column for Runner’s World UK – has run 20 marathons in 12 years, including the London Marathon four times (almost five – she had to withdraw at mile 20 in 2024 due to a stress fracture).
Amongst other challenges (including completion of the six World Marathon Majors in 2018), Raworth has also completed the Marathon des Sables – a seven-day ultramarathon held in the Sahara Desert. Time-wise, Raworth’s marathon PB is 3:27:01, and after coming second in her age group in the 2020 Farnborough Half Marathon, she earned herself an England vest for the Fleet Half later that year.
Joe Strummer, 3:20
The late British musician Joe Strummer ran his first marathon in Paris in 1982. Earlier that year, The Clash’s lead vocalist had disappeared without telling anybody to escape the spotlight and get away for a while. Long story short, he ended up (unofficially) running the Paris Marathon.
Although he allegedly didn’t train and had been drinking the night before (we recommend neither), Strummer crossed the line in around 3:20. We know that he also ran the London Marathon the following year in a time of 4:13.
Flea, 3:52:59
Red Hot Chilli Peppers bassist Flea said that he was never really a runner until he read Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. In 2011, he told Runner’s World US: ‘It affected me profoundly – the concept of our bodies being used for their real purpose when they're running.’ So, Flea decided to run the 2011 Los Angeles Marathon to raise money for the Silverlake Conservatory of Music. He completed it in 3:52:59.
Ashton Kutcher, 3:54:01
In 2019, after being diagnosed with an autoimmune condition causing him temporary vision and hearing loss and the ability to walk properly, Ashton Kutcher set himself the goal of running the 2022 New York City Marathon. The actor fundraised for Thorn, a nonprofit he co-founded to combat child sex trafficking and abuse, and crossed the line in 3:54:01.
Kevin Hart, 4:05:06
Comedian and actor Kevin Hart took on the marathon for the first time in New York in 2017. The Jumanji actor completed the World Major in 4:05:06 – before running his second marathon, the Chicago Marathon, the following year in 4:13.
Ryan Reynolds, 3:50:22
Almost a decade prior to Hart, Deadpool actor and Wrexham Football Club royalty, Ryan Reynolds, ran the 2008 New York City Marathon. Running for Parkinson's disease research, Reynolds crossed the line in 3:50:22 to join the sub-4:00 club.
Colin Farrell, 3:53:14
The actor’s personal best is from the 2021 Brisbane Marathon, but his most memorable 26.2 was at the 2024 Dublin Marathon, where he finished the race pushing his friend, Emma Fogarty, who has epidermolysis bullosa.
Randall Park, 4:16:18
Known for his acting roles in Fresh Off the Boat, Human Resources, and Veep, Park completed the 2024 New York City Marathon at a 9:47 mile clip.
Claire Holt, 3:42:43
The Vampire Diaries actress has really sunk her teeth into running. In 2024, she ran the Chicago Marathon (3:44:14) and nabbed a PR a few weeks later at the NYC Marathon.
Ellie Kemper, 5:17:39
Actress Ellie Kemper – best known for her roles in Unbreakable Life of Kimmy Schmidt and The Office – ran the 2022 New York City Marathon. Although she later told Runner’s World US that it ‘was the worst day’ of her life, she clocked a very respectable 5:17:39 and also spoke about how ‘the strength and grit of NYC’ had ‘rejuvenated’ her when she needed it most.
Chelsea Clinton, 3:45:51
Another well-known American figure inducted into the sub-4:00 marathon club is Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and former US President Bill Clinton. She ran the 2021 New York City marathon (under a pseudonym) in 3:59:09 – before returning to the 26.2-mile course the following year, when she clocked a time of 4:20:34.
However, her marathon PB came at the 2024 edition of the race, when she finished in 3:45:51.
Candice Huffine, 5:43:03
American model Candice Huffine’s first taste of marathon running came when she completed the 2017 Boston Marathon in a time of 5:45. Just a few months later, she also ran the 2017 New York City Marathon in 5:43:03 for a new PB.
George W. Bush, 3:44:52
You might already know that former US President George Bush was a decent runner, but before he became America’s 43rd President, Bush ran the 1993 Houston Marathon, then aged 46, in 3:44:52.
Natalie Dormer, 3:50:57
Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer has run the London Marathon twice. The British actress first completed the course in 2014 (while she was filming The Hunger Games: Mockingjay) in a time of 3:50:57. Dormer then ran again two years later in 2016, in 3:51:21 – which, at the time, she said she was initially ‘a tiny bit peeved about’. But, seeing as Dormer also raised more than £5,000 for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), she said didn’t mind too much.
Uzo Aduba, 5:03:24
Emmy-winning actress Uzo Aduba – who starred in the hit Netflix show Orange is the New Black – has run several marathons. The actor, who is also an opera singer and former college track star, finished the 2013 New York City Marathon in a time of 5:17:57. Aduba returned for more marathon running in 2015 to complete the Boston Marathon in 5:03:24 and in 2019 for the New York City Marathon, which she finished in 7:40.
Bryan Cranston, 3:20:45
Walter White has some wheels. The Breaking Bad actor ran the New York City Marathon in 1985. According to a piece in The New Yorker, Cranston watched the race the year before and was inspired to run it himself. "…old people, children, people in bunny costumes, people who'd lost their legs, this amazing menagerie of humanity," he said.
Katie Holmes, 5:29:58
After stopping to greet then-husband Tom Cruise and daughter Suri at mile 23, Katie Holmes went on to cross the finish line of the 2007 New York City Marathon looking so strong and photogenic, it launched an elaborate conspiracy theory as to whether she had run the race at all. Her split times should lay speculation to rest, but the mystery of how she managed 26.2 miles in boot-cut yoga pants lives on.
Sean Astin, 4:04:42
Lord of the Rings star Sean Astin has an impressive running CV to accompany his acting credits. With his marathon debut being the 1998 Los Angeles Marathon, Astin has run many more marathons since – and he also completed an Ironman Triathlon in 2015. His best marathon time remains 4:04:42, which he achieved on that special debut in LA in 1998.
Will Ferrell, 3:56:12
Another actor to have tackled the marathon distance is Will Ferrell. The comedy icon famed for his roles in Anchorman, Elf, and, more recently, Barbie, ran the 2003 Boston Marathon. He snuck in a sub-4:00 finish with his time of 3:56:12.
Gary Rowett, 3:41:36
English football manager and former Premier League player Gary Rowett has run the London Marathon four times, most recently in 2024, when he crossed the line with a PB of 3:41:36. He also ran the 2024 Rome Marathon, which, at the time, Rowett said was his ‘hardest yet’ – but he still managed a time of 3:46:16.
Darren Turner, 4:06:54
British racing driver Darren Turner also completed his fourth London Marathon in 2024. Raising more than £15,000 for cancer charity Hope For Tomorrow – which helps the NHS bring treatment closer to patients with mobile facilities – Turner finished in just over four hours. After just missing out again, Turner’s goal for any future marathons continues to be a sub-4:00 finish.
Shane Williams, 2:54:48
Former Welsh rugby player Shane Williams is no stranger to endurance racing and has run the London Marathon four times, ticked off the New York City Marathon, completed an Ironman Wales triathlon and taken on several other marathons, including the 2014 Snowdonia Marathon. Williams clocked a seriously impressive time of 2:54:48 in the 2017 London Marathon, which appears to still stand as his marathon PB.
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