Famous faces gearing up to tackle London Marathon
You’re more likely to spot them on the red carpet at some televised awards ceremony, but star-spotters may see a few famous – if slightly sweaty – faces on TV on Sunday morning.
That’s because it’s London Marathon time, and quite a few celebrities will be taking part in the 44th incarnation of the epic race.
Among the 5,000 runners making their way across the capital will be comedian and presenter Romesh Ranganathan, Golden Globewinning actress Ruth Wilson and Ted Lasso’s Phil Dunster – all taking part in their first London Marathon.
Ranganathan is raising money for mental health charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (Calm) of which he has been a patron since October 2023.
“If you told me a couple years ago that I’d be running a marathon, I’d have told you there was no chance – but Calm’s work is so important that I’m going to break a lifelong promise to myself, invest in some nipple tape and run the London Marathon for them this April,” he said.
Dunster, who played
Jamie Tartt in hit comedydrama, will run for Young Lives vs Cancer which supported the family when his cousin’s son, Rory, was diagnosed with a brain tumour aged just four months old and later died.
The actor said “I’m equal parts excited and terrified”, adding: “I want to raise as much as I can to help Young Lives vs Cancer social workers be there for more children like Rory and their parents.
“Their amazing social workers are there from the moment of diagnosis to make sure children and young people with cancer and their families get the right care and support at the right time. But they don’t get any government funding, so it’s up to people like us to make sure they can carry on doing what they do.”
Wilson, who has won two Olivier Awards as well as a Golden Globe for her performance in the television series The Affair, is running with her three brothers for Alzheimer’s Research
UK, following their father’s diagnosis.
And Natalie Pinkham will run to raise money for the Samaritans, in memory of her friend Caroline Flack.