All The Celebrities Doing The London Marathon 2026

Nearly 60,000 runners are set to take part in the 2026 London Marathon, taking place on Sunday 26 April. And among them will be a whole host of famous faces from the worlds of TV, film, sport and music – many of whom are raising money for important charities. They’ll be following in the footsteps of names like Radio 1 DJ Adele Roberts, comedian Joel Dommett and footballer John Terry, who all completed the 26.2-mile race last year. If you’re planning to go and watch, keep a close eye out for these celebrities running the London Marathon 2026.

London Marathon 2026: Celebrities To Spot

Cynthia Erivo

Wicked star Cynthia Erivo is in the midst of performing as the protagonist in Dracula at London’s Noël Coward Theatre – but in between shows, she’s pounding the pavements in preparation for the 2026 marathon. Erivo is no stranger to running: in 2022 the actor completed the London Marathon with an impressive time of 3:35:36. She has her sights set on another PB this year, having been coached by pro marathon runner Erika Kemp. 

JAMES NORTON as Pete in Playing Nice. (ITV)

James Norton

You might know him as the psychopathic Tommy Lee Royce from Happy Valley, but James Norton will have a very different hat on this Sunday. He’s running the London Marathon as the celebrity ambassador for Breakthrough T1D, a charity raising funds for type 1 diabetes research – a cause close to Norton’s heart, as a diabetes sufferer himself. This will be his first marathon, and he’s described feeling ‘very excited, and a little apprehensive’ about the mammoth challenge.

Jack O’Connell

Former C&TH cover star and British actor Jack O’Connell (Skins, Sinners), will be attempting his first ever marathon this April in aid of Alzheimer’s Research UK. He’s running alongside friend Charlie Quirke, son of retired actor Pauline Quirke who was diagnosed with dementia in 2021 – and starred alongside O’Connell as DS Blunt in Skins many years ago.

Tilly Ramsay

Gordon Ramsay’s aspiring chef daughter Tilly is running the 2026 London Marathon as part of a collaboration with Flora, which is supporting the Feeding Britain campaign – a push to help more children access nutritious meals. She’s been sharing updates on her training via TikTok, where she has nearly 10 million followers.

Dame Laura Kenny

Britain’s most decorated female Olympian, Laura Kenny will run her first ever London Marathon this year. She’s raising funds for The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust following her own traumatic experience of ectopic pregnancy last year.

Ore Oduba

Competing in the 2026 London Marathon will be especially poignant for TV and radio presenter Ore Oduba. Last April, Oduba’s family was shattered by the loss of his sister Lola, who took their own life. Since then, he has vowed to ‘make the most of every single second’ in their honour – starting with picking up running (which his sister loved) and taking it to the extreme with the 26.2-mile race. He’s raising money for the Smartphone Free Childhood charity and is proud to be joining the ‘fight against big tech’. 

Sir Ben Ainsile 

The most successful sailor in Olympic history, Ben Ainslie is no stranger to big physical challenges. But this April he’s swapping his sea legs for the streets of London, taking on his first ever marathon aged 49. ‘The training is hard, but I’m enjoying the process so far,’ he told Runners World. ‘It’s been a good replacement for competitive sailing.’ He’s training with Professor Greg Whyte, and is hoping for a sub-four hour time.

Samantha Spiro

Sex Education star Samantha Spiro is another famous face to look out for this year. She’s also raising money for Alzheimer’s Research UK, and posted on Instagram to say she’s feeling ‘so excited AND so nervous’ for the race.

Other celebrities running this year:

• Dame Kelly Holmes – former middle distance athlete
• Aaron Ramsey – former Welsh professional footballer
• A J Pritchard – dancer and choreographer
• Harry Judd – McFly drummer
• Joe Wicks – fitness coach 
• Helen Thorn – comedian