Virgin London Marathon: 10 celebs to watch
- By Jack Preston -
- Apr 17, 2012
One of the best parts of being a spectator at the Virgin London Marathon is often picking out your favourite celebrity runner from the masses.
Two years ago saw Richard Branson, dressed as a butterfly, geeing up fellow participants throughout his journey to the finish line. In previous years the swelling crowds have witnessed many memorable runs from the celebrities, so who should we all be looking out for this year?
1. Callum Best – The TV personality and son of legendary footballer George Best will be running the marathon for the Elton John Aid Foundation.
2. James Cracknell – The double gold winning Olympic rower should be an assured presence in the race, with his World Championship competition experience, as he runs for The Children’s Trust.
3. Craig Doyle – Ireland’s dashing TV presenter, disc jockey, sports reporter and chat show host is running this year’s marathon for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, as does celebrated English actor Christopher Eccleston.
4. Jenni Falconer – The Scottish television presenter, best known for her work on morning television, will be representing the children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent.
5. Andy Flower – The English cricket coach and Zimbabwean cricket legend is familiar with masterminding great sporting feats, he will be hoping to use his man management skills ensure he clocks in at a respectable time when running for Lord Taverners.
6. Greg James – The BBC Radio 1 DJ and voiceover star (did you know he has done voice overs for the likes of Mumford and Sons, the Take That Progress Tour and the film 500 Days of Summer DVD?) will be representing The Stroke Association.
7. Nell McAndrew – The model, TV presenter and real life Lara Croft will be participating in honour of her father, Ted, who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and is now currently in remission. Nell runs for Cancer Research in this year’s race.
8. Jonathan Pearce – The notoriously opinionated footballer commentator will be hoping that those covering the marathon aren’t too critical of his own efforts, he will be running on behalf of The Lily Foundation – which conducts research into Mitochondrial Disease.
9. Gordon Ramsay – The marathon stalwart will be looking to keep his famous temper in check as looks to weave in and out of competitors on his way to another swift time, he represents The Scottish Spina Bifida Association.
10. Susanna Red – the new host of the BBC1 Breakfast show will being running for a cause close to her heart, in the form of the Sports Relief. It will be the mother of three’s first marathon attempt.
To find out more about the marathon visit the Virgin London Marathon website, or check back with us throughout the week for exclusive insights.
By Jack Preston. Senior Content Executive. Tweets at @JackPressedOn
