At some point, everyone has thought about signing up for and running a marathon, and it turns out celebrities are not immune.
In fact, many have fulfilled their ambitions, with some making impressive time.
Here are some celebrities who have competed in marathons across the world, and their best times.
Alicia Keys
The singer, now 44, took to the “concrete jungle where dreams are made of” she sings about on foot to participate in the 2015 NYC Marathon.
She ended up finishing it in five hours, 50 minutes and 52 seconds.
She reflected on the experience in an interview with Refinery29, “I’m all about breaking mental boundaries, and training for a marathon falls right into the Jedi mind-training I need.”
Oprah
Oprah underwent a 19-month journey to prepare for the 1994 Marine Corps Marathon, with a documentary crew capturing how Winfrey lost 72 pounds (32 kg) to get to her goal race weight of 150 pounds (68 kg).
She ended up finishing the race in four hours, 29 minutes and 20 seconds.
After finishing she said, ”It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had. It’s better than an Emmy, I tell you.”
Pippa Middleton
The sister of Catherine, Princess of Wales is a marathon aficionado, having competed in marathons around the world.
In 2015, she competed in the Safaricom Lewa Marathon in Kenya with a finishing time of three hours, 56 minutes and 33 seconds.
One year later, she was pacing the Great Wall of China in a marathon that consisted of 5,164 steps and a 249 metre climb in 30 degree heat.
She managed to finish the feat in four hours, 54 minutes, and 51 seconds.
Will Ferrell
The comedian was humbled by the 2003 Boston Marathon, competing in the 26.2 mile race.
Upon finishing in three hours, 56 minutes, and 12 seconds, he told reporters, ”Running marathons is not a question of whether it will be painful, but when it will be painful. It does help to have a sense of humor, but I’m also respectful of the race.”
Alanis Morisette
The alt-rock singer was already a triathalon expert by the time she ran the New York City Marathon in 2010, completing in three hours, 34 minutes, and 28 seconds.
She spoke about how she prepared and the differences between the two races in an interview with Runner’s World.
”With the triathlon, the smaller versions of what I was doing, I could barrel through it regardless of what my state was on any given day,” she explained.
“For the marathon training, especially some of the longer runs—I have a 14-mile run to do tomorrow—I have to take that into consideration a good 48 hours in advance. I have to make sure I get enough sleep. I have to make sure that I’m eating properly. It’s just a larger scope for me.”
For a daily dose of 9honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.
Celebrities that have held world records
Bryan Cranston
The Breaking Bad star was inspired to run the New York City Marathon in 1985 after watching from the sidelines the previous year.
At the time he told the New Yorker that he was motivated by watching “…old people, children, people in bunny costumes, people who’d lost their legs, this amazing menagerie of humanity.”
When it was his turn, he managed to complete it in three hours, 20 minutes and 45 seconds.
Harry Styles
The latest to join the club is former One Direction star Harry Styles, who joined the Berlin Marathon in secret.
The Watermelon Sugar singer ran under the alias “Sted Sarandos”, covering the first half of the race in one hour, 29 minutes, and eight seconds, and the second half in one hour, 30 minutes, and six seconds.
His total time was two hours, 59 minutes, and 13 seconds, coming under the three-hour benchmark that many amateurs train years for.
This time beat his previous one by 25 minutes, with the pop star having completed the Tokyo Marathon in March.
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.
