Celebrities Who Have Conquered a Full Marathon
They don’t just run the media spotlight; many celebrities have also dipped their toes at running complete marathons. As we’ve just witnessed the Boston Marathon and the London Marathon in April 2023, let’s take a look at our beloved actors, comedians, and singers that have put in the hard work to train and compete in a marathon that was good for them in the long run.
Kevin Hart (2017 NY & 2018 Chicago Marathon)
- Time: New York (4 hours, 5 minutes) – Chicago (4 hours, 13 minutes)
He’s never going to dunk a ball or compete in the high jump, but the 5-foot-2-inches comedian and actor Kevin Hart has proved he has the legs for marathon running. And despite many believing that Hart’s continued marathon training was a running joke, he finished the 2017 New York long-distance race in 4 hours, 5 minutes, which came before achieving a second marathon triumph in 2018 at the Chicago event.
I don’t know about you, but I’m sweating balls just thinking about the hours Hart has put in.
Before Kevin Hart takes on the New York City Marathon, he gives us the many faces of 26.2 miles. pic.twitter.com/u1EEiqujj0
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 4, 2017
Michael Balzary (LA Marathon, 2012)
- Time: Los Angeles (3 hours, 41 minutes)
Bass player Michael Balzary is one-fourth of The Red-Hot Chilli Peppers, but there was nothing hot and spicy about the Los Angeles Marathon he ran in 2012. He was faced with a 26-mile run in wet conditions, and although his bandmates refer to him as ‘Flea’, he chose running over jumping as he crossed the finish line in 3 hours, 41 minutes. Slap that bass, baby!
Ryan Reynolds (NY Marathon, 2008)
- Time: New York (3 hours, 50 minutes)
What do you get when you cross Deadpool with the New York Marathon? A MARVELous race. Alright, my dad jokes might be washed, but it was Ryan Reynolds that required a washing machine after he completed the 2008 NY marathon in 3 hours and 50 minutes, drenched in sweat.
We would consider running a marathon if Ryan Reynolds was our trainer http://t.co/mOVcX9eGGE pic.twitter.com/fI0c1j0A94
— People (@people) November 1, 2014
You couldn’t find any odds at the sportsbook for Reynold’s NY race, but if you’re interested in betting online, he currently owns a surging soccer club in Wales, UK; you can wager on – but don’t expect to see them competing in the Premier League anytime soon.
Will Ferrell (Boston Marathon, 2003)
- Time: London (3 hours, 56 minutes)
Will Ferrell is one of America’s most adored actors. Anchorman, Step Brothers, Get Hard, Alf, Talladega Nights, Daddy’s Home, Old School, and Zoolander, are just a small percentage of laugh-out-loud comedy flicks he’s starred in. However, there were no jokes at the 2003 Boston Marathon, as Ferrell completed the race in 3 hours and 56 minutes without a one-liner or punchline. Apparently, he wore bad footwear, thus resulting in the agony of defeat.
Forget physical marathons for a moment, just watch a Will Ferrell movie marathon, and you won’t be disappointed.
Gordon Ramsay (London Marathon, 2004)
- Time: London (3 hours, 30 minutes)
Contrary to popular belief, Gordon Ramsay doesn’t just tell aspiring chefs to fu*k off in the kitchen. The celebrity cook is an avid fitness freak that was known to box in his earlier days, and I’m not surprised he requires a decent exercise routine when considering some of the banging food he dishes up.
Ramsay ran the London Marathon in 2004, and of all the celebrities on our list, he owns the fastest time of 3 hours, 30 minutes.
Gordon Ramsay running the London Marathon. pic.twitter.com/Y44wmTk9HE
— Wonder of Life (@awonderoflife) April 4, 2019
Alicia Keys (NY Marathon, 2015)
- Time: New York (5 hours, 50 minutes)
Alicia Keys needed zero training for the 2015 New York Marathon where ‘concrete jungle dreams are made of’ because she’s always running on my mind. No, seriously. That voice, that smile, my god! I’ll fight Swizz Beats for her hand in marriage any day, and considering I give her free marathon training, I think I deserve it.
#flashbackfriday To when Alicia Keys ran the 2015 New York City Marathon . Her time was 5:50:52 #celebrityfridays #nycmarathon2015 pic.twitter.com/AsOOfnDXAM
— Road Race Results (@RoadRaceResults) October 6, 2017
Pamela Anderson (NY Marathon, 2013)
- Time: New York (5 hours, 41 minutes)
From a stage babe to a beach babe, Pamela Anderson will never be forgotten by guys aged 30-50; she stole the hearts of every boy and man between 1992-1997 as she gave us a reason to care about Baywatch.
Well, she hasn’t quite topped her performance on that show since it disbanded – unless you’ve seen the Pam & Tommy tapes, but we’ll save that for another day. However, she did run the 2013 New York Marathon; I guess the beach scenes of her running from the nineties were more than just memory bank moments for teenagers.
Oprah (Marine Corps Marathon, 1994)
- Time: New York (4 hours, 29 minutes)
Long before the days of fast internet, online gambling, and mobile phones, Oprah was running marathons. I bet you didn’t see that one coming. I don’t have much else to say on the matter, but as she’ll finalize our article today, I’m trying to think about the best thing regarding Oprah Winfrey jokes… You get the joke! You get the Joke! You all get the joke!
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