The London Marathon is a gruelling 26.2 mile run through the capital and has seen plenty of famous faces attempt to conquer the course over its 44 year history
London Marathon’s punishing 26.2 mile route is prepared for another batch of 40,000 runners to tackle the capital’s streets. Celebrity participants will naturally be amongst the numbers attempting the legendary race, as many have done before.
Most famous faces embrace the challenge to generate thousands of pounds for charity and win their coveted medals after crossing the finishing line.
However, not all public figures have proved so triumphant in their bids at the race. Some have even sparked controversy over the years, so Daily Star is examining the most significant incidents to strike the sporting spectacle.
Scroll on to check out which of your UK TV favourites were involved.
Mo Farah’s ‘water-gate’
In 2018 Sir Mo Farah had a dreadful mishap in front of awaiting cameras. The Olympic champion grabbed a fellow competitor’s water bottle while trying to satisfy his thirst on a sweltering day in the capital.
After recognising his blunder, Mo dashed back to collect his own drink costing him precious time. The champion then proceeded to repeat the identical mistake further along the course, leaving him exasperated.
Mo was then spotted having heated exchanges with the volunteers. Speaking after the race, Mo explained: “I know they were really helpful towards the end but at the beginning someone was trying to take pictures but after 15k I found it ok. I just told them [the safety stewards] to get the staff to be a bit more helpful please. To stop taking pictures and maybe point at my drink and that’s what they were doing at the end.”
“My drink and the other runners’ drinks looked exactly the same. I wasn’t wasting energy. I needed a drink so I had to get that right otherwise I would have been done.”
Jade Goody’s curry and booze fuelled training plan
In preparation for the London Marathon many runners adapt their lifestyles to include punishing fitness regimes, a rigid diet and many even eliminate alcohol entirely, but Big Brother icon Jade Goody had a completely different strategy in the run-up to the long-distance running event.
The late mum-of-two “got bored” with training for the London Marathon, only managing four practice sessions before the big day and going on to fail to cross the finish line of the 26.2-mile route. Jade faced criticism at the time, as she needed medical help halfway through the course during her bid to complete the marathon in order to raise funds for children’s charity the NSPCC.
The late reality TV personality confessed to “eating curry and Chinese, and drinking” just days before the race: “I’ve never done anything so hard in all my life,” said Jade.
Katie Price
The former glamour model made her second attempt at the London Marathon in 2018, with a pair of lungs strapped to her back. Katie was running in support of the British Lung Foundation in honour of her mother.
Despite making a grand entrance, the glamour model quit just 15km in with her plastic lungs later seen abandoned by the side of the road. A passerby said: “I was out for a run and came across Katie’s outfit. It seems the copper that was carrying them taken them to a safe place for Katie. But now they’re lying in the street. It’s possible someone took them as a souvenir but couldn’t carry them because they’re really heavy.”
“It’s bin day in the area too, so it’s more than likely they’ll be crushed up in one of the council’s lorries before the afternoon is out. It’s a shame really.”
TOWIE medal mishap
The sister of TOWIE star James ‘Arg’ Argent raised eyebrows in 2016 when she managed to complete 20k in just 39 minutes – over 10 minutes quicker than the then-current world record of 55:21km held by male athlete Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea.
Race officials confirmed at the time that Natasha was under investigation after recording the dubious times. Subsequently, the reality TV star’s sibling went on to confess she hadn’t finished the course – revealing how a panic attack had forced her to abandon the route.
“People were cheering me on and I felt like I didn’t deserve the cheers,” she told OK! magazine in 2016. “It was just awful. I’m really sorry if I have hurt anyone.”
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