20 April 2024 , 07:00
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Among the 50,000 runners who will toe the London Marathon’s start line in Greenwich on Sunday morning will be a gathering of famous faces - from award-winning stars of screen to football managers and former rugby internationals.
And whether the celebs have been training hard for months or are underprepared for the challenge, almost all will be raising thousands of pounds for charities.
The race’s 2024 Charity of the Year is Samaritans, with Sky Sports presenter Natalie Pinkham and Emmerdale actor Lawrence Robb among those running for it. Last year the London Marathon made more than £60m for charities.
Here is a pick of the confirmed names preparing to run 26.2 miles of the capital.
Romesh Ranganathan
The comedian is preparing to run his first marathon and is raising funds for Campaign Against Living Miserably, the mental health charity that he is a patron of.
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“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,” he said.
Phil Dunster
Actor who played Jamie Tartt in Ted Lasso says he is “equal parts excited and terrified” as he embarks on the run for Young Lives vs Cancer.
“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,” he said.
“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. So that’s why I’m taking on this absolutely epic and rather mad challenge.”
Romesh Ranganathan will be among the thousands starting in Greenwich Park on Sunday morning.
Ted Lasso star Phil Dunster is also up for the 26.2 mile challenge.Natalie Pinkham
Sky Sports F1 presenter says she is running “in memory of my beautiful friend, Caroline Flack” and describing the impact of running for Samaritans, she added: “I know what a difference the money raised will make and the lives it will save. It’s going to be a tough challenge, but any time I have a low moment, I think of Flacky and dig a bit deeper.”
Eastenders special
Emma Barton and Jamie Borthwick, who play Honey and Jay, will be running the London Marathon for the second time. But this time there is a twist because they will be running it in character for a special episode of the soap in which Jay is running in memory of his wife, Lola, who died of a brain tumour on the show last year.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe
The Manchester United part-owner and Britain's second richest man will be running for an eighth time. The 71-year-old ran 4:32 12 months ago but he has a dodgy hamstring and is almost certain to miss kick off in United's FA Cup semi-final against Coventry City, which gets underway at Wembley at 3:30pm.
Gary Rowett
Gary Rowett is planning to run London for a fourth time - but he will be facing a dash south from Rotherham after Birmingham City play in Yorkshire on Saturday afternoon.
The former Milwall boss has recently taken charge of the Blues while Tony Mowbray takes an extended spell of leave for health reasons.
Rugby trio
Wales union legend Shane Williams will embark on the race for a fifth time as he raises money for the Velindre Cancer Centre, while former league players Jamie Peacock and Jamie Jones-Buchanan are turning out for Sue Ryder Care.
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