The London Marathon returns on Sunday morning, with numerous celebrities preparing to run 26.2 miles for charity. Over the years, many stars have surprised fans by achieving this remarkable feat. This year, participants include Cynthia Erivo, AJ and Curtis Pritchard, and James Norton. However, several celebrities have regretted signing up, with some cheating, failing to finish, or experiencing medical emergencies. Here are the stars who ran out of steam.
Joel Dommett
Joel Dommett bit off more than he could chew during last year's London Marathon, waking up in an ambulance after fainting at mile 17. Despite the scare, he finished the race after a few hours under medical supervision. He wrote on Instagram: 'Not the race I expected! I fainted at mile 17 – don't really remember much but I woke up in an ambulance! Thanks to Frankie and Barry for being amazing.' He added: 'I really wanted to finish it. After a few hours my pulse was back and I got going again at a very different pace but really got to soak it all in. Proud of myself for finishing.' The comedian, 40, had a hectic schedule: traveling from South West London to Leeds for a comedy show, then driving to Cambridge, sleeping only six and a half hours, before waking at 6:30am on Sunday to head to the start line. He had planned an ice bath and meal after the race but was derailed by his medical incident.
Katie Price
Katie Price was unable to complete the 2018 London Marathon and was instead spotted having lunch with her terminally ill mother Amy while others finished. The TV personality, raising money for the British Lung Foundation, quit due to a knee injury, and her giant lung costume was carried to the finish line by police three hours into the race. Amy defended Katie, saying: 'I just wanted to say how proud I am of my daughter Katie for running the London Marathon. She may not have completed it but she's raised so much awareness.' Katie faced criticism for lack of training but insisted: 'I did train for the run, tried my best in a heavy outfit and if my mummy is proud that's what matters to me.' She was seen eating ice cream with family later that evening.
Georgia Harrison
Georgia Harrison completed the 2019 London Marathon in exactly four hours but faced cheating accusations after admitting to not training much. Her representative shut down the claims. She also tore her left buttock ten miles into the race, which she discovered the next day at a physiotherapist. A source said: 'Georgia was about ten miles in... when she felt a pull in her bottom. The pain got worse... she finished in exactly four hours. However after the race her left butt cheek was swollen... she had an acute tear on her gluteus maximus.' Georgia told followers: 'My legs and knees are killing me... it's definitely worth it.' She admitted: 'I have been drunk for the majority of this month. I didn't really do enough training.'
Natasha Argent
In 2016, Natasha Argent was forced to return her medal after finishing the marathon in under four hours, but race data showed she missed 11 of 24 checkpoints and completed the final 20km in 48 minutes—faster than Mo Farah. Organizers banned her from future events. Natasha claimed a panic attack caused her to leave the course, saying: 'I kept running for probably a mile and then went over to a marshall. I told him I had gone wrong... I was genuinely lost.' She added: 'People were cheering me on and I felt like I didn't deserve the cheers. It was just awful.'
Mo Farah
Even professional runner Mo Farah faced criticism during the 2018 London Marathon for mistakes at drink stations. He missed his bottle at 10km, picked up the wrong one, and lost five seconds at 20km. He blamed volunteers for taking pictures instead of helping. His coach said his bottles contained a special carbohydrate and salt mixture.
Romesh Ranganathan
Romesh Ranganathan finished the 2024 marathon in six and a half hours, more than two hours longer than average. He blamed drinking too much water, long toilet queues, and a previous bad experience. He said: 'I didn't know anything about fuelling... I hit the wall... I was so scared of hitting the wall again that I ran really within myself.' He improved to six hours in 2025 but did not sign up for a third attempt.
