Thousands of runners, including a host of celebrities, crossed the London Marathon finish line on Sunday amid warm temperatures. Notable participants included Wicked actor Cynthia Erivo and former England cricket captain Sir Alastair Cook, as well as children's TV character Daddy Pig alongside fitness coach Joe Wicks.
Cynthia Erivo achieved a new personal best, completing the 26.2-mile course in approximately three hours and 21 minutes, significantly improving on her 2022 time of three hours and 35 minutes. After the race, the Oscar-nominated star was visibly exhausted and was helped to a seat. She said: 'There was a little rough moment where I thought it was never going to make it, but then I found a little bit of strength. I’m here, and I feel really proud.' Despite an early 5am start, Erivo was scheduled to perform all 23 roles in Dracula at the Noel Coward Theatre on Monday evening, quipping: 'It’s at 7.30pm, so I should be fine. I may be a little slower than usual.'
The distinctive Peppa Pig theme tune heralded the arrival of Daddy Pig at the finish line, accompanied by Joe Wicks. The pair completed the course in five hours and 51 minutes, running in support of the National Deaf Children’s Society, following a storyline in Peppa Pig that revealed George Pig is moderately deaf. Wicks praised Daddy Pig's dedication and noted the crowd's reaction: 'It’s lovely when people say “Joe!” and give me a little cheer, but 99 per cent of it was “Daddy Pig, give us a wave!”... I rode off the energy of Daddy Pig today.'
Sir Alastair Cook declared the finish line as his favourite part of the marathon. He found a moment of personal joy at the 20-mile mark when he saw his family. Comparing the marathon to his cricketing career, he remarked: 'Cricket’s easy. When you’ve finished, when you’re not very good, you cash out and sit down. There’s no hiding place here.'
Other notable finishers included Team GB cyclist Laura Kenny, McFly’s Harry Judd, actor James Norton, Strictly dancer Nikita Kuzmin, Olympic sailor Ben Ainslie, snowboarder Aimee Fuller, singer Alexandra Burke, BBC broadcaster Sophie Raworth, F1 driver Sebastian Vettel, former footballer Aaron Ramsey, ex-Arsenal captain Tony Adams, goalkeeper Lee Grant, Traitors star Harry Clark, jockey AP McCoy, and former British women’s tennis No 1 Laura Robson.
