IT’S MARATHON SEASON, which means that runners all over the world are lacing up and taking on the infamous 42.2km. Among these runners are a number of actors, musicians, athletes and other famous faces.
At the recent London marathon, we saw Cynthia Erivo and Sebastian Vettel have a crack at the distance with impressive results. Of course, Sebastian Sawe did break the marathon world record during the event. But we can’t all be record breakers. Celebrities, then, present a better benchmark for us regular folk, to whom a four hour marathon seems more achievable than Sawe’s mind boggling sub-two hour effort.
So, what celebrities have run a marathon? The list ranges from feisty chefs to Oscar winners, and their times are similarly diverse. See for yourself below.
Ethan Hawke: 4:25:30
Actor Ethan Hawke ran the New York City Marathon in 2015 alongside his wife. He clocked a finishing time of 4:25:30.
Kevin Hart: 4:05:06
Kevin Hart took on a marathon for the first time in New York in 2017. He completed the World Major in 4:05:06 – before running his second marathon, the Chicago Marathon, the following year in 4:13.
Will Ferrell: 3:56:12
Another actor to have tackled the marathon distance is Will Ferrell. The comedy icon ran the 2003 Boston Marathon. He snuck in a sub-four-hour finish with his time of 3:56:12.
Diplo: 3:55:16
Music producer Diplo – real name Thomas Wesley Pentz – finished the 2023 Los Angeles Marathon in 3:55:16. Sub-four is impressive, but wait until you hear Diplo’s account of the race. He says he took LSD before starting. What happened to trying nothing new on race day?
Ashton Kutcher: 3:54:01
In 2019, after being diagnosed with an autoimmune condition causing him temporary vision and hearing loss and the ability to walk properly, Ashton Kutcher set himself the goal of running the 2022 New York City Marathon. The actor fundraised for Thorn, a nonprofit he co-founded to combat child sex trafficking and abuse, and crossed the line in 3:54:01.
Colin Farrell: 3:53:14
Colin Farrell ran a personal best at the 2021 Brisbane Marathon. But his most memorable 42.2 was at the 2024 Dublin Marathon, where he finished the race pushing his friend, Emma Fogarty, who has epidermolysis bullosa.
Ryan Reynolds: 3:50:22
Deadpool actor and Wrexham royalty Ryan Reynolds ran the 2008 New York City Marathon. Running for Parkinson’s disease research, Reynolds crossed the line in 3:50:22 to join the sub-4:00 club.
Josh O’Connor: 3:50:10
Golden Globe-winning actor and star of Challengers, Josh O’Connor is another famous face to take on the London Marathon – and to have completed the course in under four hours. O’Connor completed the 2023 race in 3:50:10.
Edward Norton: 3:48:01
Known for films like Fight Club and The Incredible Hulk, Norton tackled the 2009 New York City Marathon and came away with a time of 3:48:01. Norton ran in support of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, and even trained alongside Maasai warriors.
Gordon Ramsay: 3:30:37
Gordon Ramsey has more than 15 marathons under his belt, as well as three ultra marathons, three half-Ironmans and two Ironman World Championship appearances.
His marathon PB is from back in 2004, when he ran the London Marathon in 3:30:37.
Bryan Cranston: 3:20:45
Bryan Cranston has some wheels. The Breaking Bad actor ran the New York City Marathon in 1985. According to a piece in The New Yorker, Cranston watched the race the year before and was inspired to run it himself. “Old people, children, people in bunny costumes, people who’d lost their legs, this amazing menagerie of humanity,” he said.
Harry Styles: 2:59:13
At the 2025 Berlin Marathon, we witnessed one of the fastest marathons by a celebrity that we’ve ever seen. Harry Styles finished the race in 2:59, narrowly going sub-3. He made his debut at the Tokyo Marathon in March 2025, where he ran 3:24. He came back even better in Berlin and wiped 25 minutes off his PB.
