British celebrities out in force at London Marathon as stars battle brutal course

Lydia Davies
Sun, 26 Apr 2026 19:07:42 +0000

British celebrities turned out in force for the London Marathon on Sunday, with stars from the worlds of entertainment, sport and television taking on the gruelling 26.2-mile course.

Among those leading the celebrity charge was Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, who delivered an impressive performance by smashing her personal best.

The Oscar-nominated actress crossed the finish line in approximately three hours and 21 minutes, 14 minutes faster than her previous marathon time in 2022.

After completing the race, Ms Erivo admitted there had been a difficult moment during the run.

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"There was a little rough moment where I thought I was never going to make it, but then I found a little bit of strength," she said.

"I'm here, and I feel really proud," the Wicked star told The Irish News.

Fitness coach Joe Wicks also took part in the race, accompanied by an unusual running partner, children’s television favourite Daddy Pig.

The pair ran together in support of the National Deaf Children’s Society, following a recent storyline in Peppa Pig revealing that George Pig is moderately deaf.

Mr Wicks had been training the character in the lead-up to the marathon and described the experience as “exhilarating”.

Former England cricket captain Sir Alastair Cook was another high-profile name to complete the course, offering a typically understated reflection on the challenge.

When asked about his favourite moment, he replied: "The finish."

Sir Alastair also spoke about spotting his family along the route, joking that it did little to boost his pace.

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"Seeing my little boy and my family at around about the 20-mile mark, it didn't inspire me to run any faster, because I was done, but it was nice to see his face," he said.

BBC broadcaster Sophie Raworth and former British tennis number one Laura Robson were among other well-known faces to cross the finish line.

Temperatures climbed into the high teens as tens of thousands of participants made their way through the capital, cheered on by crowds lining the streets.

The 46th edition of the London Marathon saw close to 60,000 runners take part, following the traditional route from Blackheath to The Mall.

The event forms part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, alongside races in Tokyo, Boston, Berlin, Chicago, New York City and Sydney.

Runners of all abilities took part, from elite athletes chasing records to first-time participants pushing their limits, with many raising money for charitable causes.

Despite the physical toll, Ms Erivo revealed she would be returning to the stage at the Noël Coward Theatre on Monday evening, where she is performing all 23 roles in Dracula.

"It's at 7.30 pm, so I should be fine," she said, adding: "I may be a little slower than usual."

Other British celebrities who took part in the 2026 London Marathon included: James Norton, running for Breakthrough T1D - 04:29:04, Curtis Pritchard, running for Marie Curie, AJ Pritchard, running for Marie Curie - 05:15:27 and Gordon Ramsay's daughter, Tilly Ramsay.