Ben Shephard issued an apology to a guest on Monday's This Morning after the 88-year-old marathon runner was forced to run to the studio due to a transport mix-up. The presenter, who had run the London Marathon himself the day before, expressed his regret live on air.
Harry, an 88-year-old serial marathon runner, told Shephard and co-host Cat Deeley that the vehicle scheduled to pick him up was half an hour late. He was then instructed to run from the station to the studio. Shephard, visibly amazed, admitted he doubted he would have the energy to run again so soon after completing the 26.2-mile race.
Addressing Harry directly, Shephard said: 'Thank you for joining us today. Thank you for running from the station as well, Harry. I'm so sorry about that. I don't think I would be running for a week!' The presenter finished the marathon in 3 hours and 29 minutes, describing the experience as 'hurt[ing] a lot' but being carried along by the crowd and other runners.
Shephard, 51, had previously told Men's Health that he aimed to finish under four hours but did not want to put too much pressure on himself. He detailed his fuelling strategy, planning 90g of carbs per hour, though he admitted concerns about his training runs' nutrition. The presenter also noted he would be working the night before the race, limiting sleep.
