Meet the celebrities running the 2017 London Marathon
A quick look at some of the famous faces who will be attempting the 26.2 mile course on 23 April
The London Marathon takes place on Sunday 23rd April and, as usual, there's a jolly brace of celebrities braving the 26.2 mile course. Lining up at the start in Greenwich are presenters, Olympians, actors – even Ian Beale from EastEnders! Who will make it across the finish line in the fastest time? Check back on RadioTimes.com this weekend and we'll bring you news of all the finishers as they make their way down the mall.
PRESENTERS
Chris Evans
Who? Chris Evans is one of the country’s best-known presenters, hosting his Radio 2 Breakfast Show since 2010. He first shot to fame as the face of Channel 4’s Big Breakfast and has also fronted TFI Friday and The One Show. Last year he helped relaunch Top Gear with Matt LeBlanc but sensationally quit after just one series and a string of bad reviews.
First marathon? No. Chris was a surprise entrant in the 2015 marathon and repeated his feat in 2016. His personal best is 4:39:53.
Who is he running for? BBC Children in Need
Sophie Raworth
Who? Sophie Raworth is a journalist and broadcaster, who anchors BBC News at One on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as regularly hosting BBC News at Six. Raworth also presents BBC programmes Watchdog and Crimewatch.
First marathon? No. Sophie is an avid marathon-runner; 2017 will be her sixth London Marathon, with her personal best an impressive 3:35:20.
Sian Williams
Who? Sian Williams is a journalist and current affairs presenter, who is well known for her work with the BBC. Having previously presented weekday editions of BBC Breakfast as well as the main news bulletins on BBC1, Williams is now the main presenter of 5 News at 5.
First marathon? No. Sian has participated in the London Marathon several times, achieving a time of 4:26:45 in 2013.
Who is she running for? Heads Together
Jenni Falconer
Who? Jenni Falconer is a radio and television presenter, who currently fronts the early breakfast slot on weekdays and Sunday mornings on Heart FM, as well as regularly contributing to ITV daytime show This Morning.
First Marathon? No. 2017 will be the sixth time Jenni has run the London Marathon, with her personal best an impressive 3:31:02 in 2010.
Who is she running for? Cancer Research UK
Jonathan Pearce
Who? Jonathan Pearce is a well-known football commentator for the BBC, having worked for both Radio 5 Live and Match of the Day.
First Marathon? No, this will be Pearce’s sixth London Marathon.
Who is he running for? The Lily Foundation, a charity he helped set up in memory of his niece, Lily, who died from mitochondrial disease aged just eight months.
Nina Hossain
Who? Nina Hossain is a journalist and presenter, who works as the main newscaster on ITV Lunchtime News and lead anchor on ITV News London.
First marathon? Yes.
Who is she running for? Whizz-Kidz
Marcus Bean
Who? Since winning Channel 4’s Iron Chef UK in 2010, Bean has become one of the UK’s most popular celebrity chefs. He is a regular on ITV’s This Morning and also hosts BBC Good Food shows.
First Marathon? No. Marcus has run the London Marathon before, completing the race with a time of 3:57:03 in 2015.
Who is he running for? NSPCC
Gilles Peterson
Who? Gilles is a well-respected DJ, having worked at both Kiss FM and BBC Radio 1, and owner of the record label Brownswood Recordings. He also set up music festival Worldwide which takes place each year in the south of France.
First marathon? No. Gilles has run the London Marathon before, finishing in 4 hours 43 minutes and 9 seconds in 2011.
Who is he running for? The Steve Reid Foundation
Sean Fletcher
Who? Sports presenter Fletcher has presented on both BBC Breakfast and Sky Sports, before moving to ITV’s Good Morning Britain in 2014.
First Marathon? No. Sean has run the London Marathon twice before, in 2015 and 2016.
Who is he running for? Heads Together
Mark Chapman
Who? Broadcaster Mark Chapman is currently a presenter on Match of the Day 2 on Sunday nights, as well as being one of the main sports presenters on BBC Radio 5 Live.
First marathon? No. Mark has ran the London Marathon twice before, in 2008 and 2010.
Who is he running for? The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
ATHLETES
James Cracknell
Who? Former professional rower Cracknell is a double Olympic gold medalist and multiple rowing world champion. Since retiring from professional sport, he has presented on ITV and Channel 4.
First marathon? No. James has run the London Marathon several times before, completing the marathon with a time of 02:50:43 in 2015.
Who is he running for? Headway and RNLI
Quinton Fortune
Who? Former footballer Fortune is best-known for his seven years playing for Manchester United, as well as twice representing South Africa at the World Cup.
First marathon? This will be Fortune’s first London Marathon, after running the Greater Manchester Marathon in 2012.
Who is he running for? Manchester United Foundation
Helen Glover
Who? Helen Glover is a member of the Great Britain Rowing Team, and currently ranked as the number 1 female rower in the world. In partnership with Heather Stanning, Glover is a double Olympic gold medallist.
First marathon? Yes
Who is she running for? Brain and Spine Foundation
Heather Stanning
Who? Alongside Helen Glover, Stanning is a double Olympic gold medallist. In late 2016, after their victory in Rio, Stanning retired from rowing and returned to the army.
First marathon? Yes
Who is she running for? Royal British Legion Industries
Shane Williams
Who? Williams is a former Welsh rugby league player who has taken part in three World Cups, won two Six Nations championships and was named World Rugby’s Player of the Year in 2008.
First marathon? No. Shane has run the London Marathon twice before, in 2015 and 2016. He finished with an impressive time of 3 hours 35 minutes in 2015.
Who is he running for? Velindre Cancer Centre
Chrissie Wellington
Who? Chrissie is a former professional triathlete and four-time Ironman Triathlon World Champion.
First marathon? Yes
Who is she running for? Cancer Research UK and Epilepsy
Jamie Peacock
Who? Former rugby league player Jamie Peacock is one of the most successful players in Super League history, having captained both England and Great Britain at an international level. Peacock also won the 2003 Man of Steel award.
First marathon? Yes
Who is he running for? Sue Ryder Wheatfields
Pamela Relph
Who? Relph is an adaptive rower and two-time Paralympic gold medallist, winning gold medals at London 2012 and Rio 2016 – the first rower to achieve that feat.
First marathon? Yes.
Who is she running for? Arthritis Research UK
Keith Senior
Who? Senior is a former rugby league player who is widely considered one of the greatest players of the Super League era; he represented both England and Great Britain at international level.
First marathon? No. Senior has completed the course three times before.
Who is he running for? The Laura Crane Youth Cancer Trust
Kevin Sinfield
Who? The former rugby league player represented both England and Great Britain at international level, and captained the Leeds Rhinos in Super League.
First marathon? Yes.
Who is he running for? Prostate Cancer UK
Danny Mills
Who? Former footballer Mills represented England at the 2002 World Cup and is best-known for his time at Leeds United and Manchester City.
First marathon? No. Mills completed the London Marathon in 2016 with a time of 3 hours 14 minutes 46 seconds, having previously run both the Brighton and Yorkshire marathons.
Who is he running for? Cancer Research UK
Chris Newton
Who? Newton is a multiple world track cycling champion and triple Olympic medallist, having won medals at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games.
First Marathon? No. Newton is the fastest celebrity to have finished the London Marathon, completing the race in 2:45:10 in 2014.
Who is he running for? Anthony Nolan.
ACTORS
Adam Woodyatt
Who? Adam is the longest-serving actor to have appeared on BBC soap Eastenders, having played character Ian Beale since the show started in 1985. He has won five British Soap awards for his work, including one for Best Actor.
First marathon? Yes
Who is he running for? The Air Ambulance Service
Juliet Aubrey
Who? Juliet is an award-winning actress best-known for her roles in TV series Middlemarch and Primeval. Aubrey has also appeared in critically acclaimed films such as Welcome to Sarajevo.
First marathon? Yes.
Who is she running for? Women for Women International
Christopher Harper
Who? Having appeared in both Housewife 49 and Upstairs Downstairs, Harper is now at the centre of a chilling child grooming storyline in Coronation Street.
First marathon? Yes.
Who is he running for? NSPCC
Leon Ockenden
Who? Leon has appeared in several well-known British TV shows, most notably Coronation Street, Waterloo Road and ITV’s Mr Selfridge.
First marathon? Yes.
Who is he running for? Wellchild
Bobby Lockwood
Who? Former child star Lockwood appeared in both Waterloo Road and CBBC’s Wolfblood before making the transition to more adult roles, going on to star in ITV’s Lewis and appearing in the much-anticipated 2017 film Dunkirk.
First marathon? No. Lockwood ran the 2016 London Marathon and achieved a time of 4 hours 32 minutes.
Who is he running for? Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity
Gwilym Lee
Who? Best-known for his role in Midsomer Murders, Gwilym has also showed up in British TV shows including Fresh Meat and Ashes and Ashes. He is set to appear in new Sky drama Jamestown.
First marathon? No. Gwilym ran the London Marathon in 2015 and completed the race in an impressive 3 hours 12 minutes.
Who is he running for? Bloodwise
William Beck
Who? The Welsh-born actor is best known for his role as consultant Dylan Keogh in Casualty, and has also appeared in the BBC drama Robin Hood.
First marathon? No. Beck has run the London Marathon before, in 2012 and 2014.
Who is he running for? Bloodwise
MUSICIANS
Scouting for Girls
Who? The English pop punk band – made up of Roy Stride, Greg Churchouse and Peter Ellard – rose to fame in 2008 when their self-titled debut album charted at number 1 in the UK album chart. Since then, the band have gone on to sell more than 2 million records.
First marathon? Yes. The band are running the marathon together as part of a year of fundraising for the Alzheimer’s Society.
Who are they running for? Alzheimer’s Society
MEDIA PERSONALITIES
Baasit Siddiqui
Who? Alongside his dad Sid and brother Umar, Baasit is a member of one of the most popular families on Channel 4’s Gogglebox.
First marathon? No. Baasit ran the London Marathon in 2016, achieving a time of 04:46:54.
Who is he running for? Gem’s Cash For Kids.
Katie Hopkins
Who? Katie is best known for her controversial newspaper columns. She shot to fame after appearing on The Apprentice in 2007 and featuring on reality shows including Big Brother.
First Marathon? Yes.
Who is she running for? The National Brain Appeal
Ashley James
Who? The former Made in Chelsea star currently DJs on Hoxton Radio, and has taken part in modeling campaigns for George Swimwear.
First marathon? No. James ran the London Marathon in 2016 and finished with a time of 04:10:27.
Who is she running for? Cancer Research UK
