Fast and Famous: Celebrity Marathon Times

As summertime approaches, many of the world’s biggest marathons are up and running (pun intended) once again. For many, a marathon is the ultimate fitness goal, a real test of physical and mental endurance.

Among those taking part in the 26.2-mile stretch will be plenty of celebrities and personalities we all know. From actors to politicians, musicians to TV stars, many of the rich and famous choose to take part in marathons across the world. But how do all these celebrities fair when it comes to speed?

We looked at the marathon times from over 300 celebrities and personalities and ranked them fastest to slowest.

The fastest celebrity marathon runners

Bernd Heinrich, the science professor, naturalist and author, ran the West Valley Marathon in Utah in a time of 2 hours and 22 minutes back in 1980. Politicians, meanwhile, proved to have the average fastest times, with four of them making our top 20. The third-fastest time in the top table comes from political writer, broadcaster and former British MP Matthew Parris who ran the London Marathon in 2 hours 32 minutes. Meanwhile, Australian politician Andrew Leigh completed the Tokyo Marathon in 2 hours 42 minutes. Former director of the CIA David Patraeus and Mikulás Dzurinda, ex Prime Minister of Slovakia, also made the top 20.

While it’s no great shock that just over half of the top runners are from sporting backgrounds, there are also two writers and journalists on the list, plus German physicist Wolfgang Ketterle. And we must give a special nod to super-fit Nell McAndrew who made the list with her time of 2 hours 54 minutes in the London Marathon, flying the flag for the modelling industry.

Not making the top 20, but worth a special mention for her feats of physical endurance is Pippa Middleton, who came 13th out of all the women completing the brutal course in the Great Wall Of China Marathon. She also ran the Safaricom Marathon in Kenya, so you know she’s not messing about with her extreme running choices.

Famous actors who have run marathons

Bryan Cranston, famous for playing everyone’s favorite high school chemistry teacher, Walter White, makes the list of fastest runners.

When it comes to the slower end of the scale, Freddie Prinze Jr. recorded a time of 5 hours and 50 minutes.

Pamela Anderson clearly tired herself out after all those beach runs on the hit TV show, Baywatch, as she also came in at the slower time of 5 hours and 41 minutes.