This Sunday, runners took to the streets of London to run the largest ever London Landmark Half Marathon, raising £11.8 million for various charities.
The 13.1 mile route starts at Paul Mall and takes in some of London's most iconic landmarks, passing Big Ben, Tower Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral and, for the first time this year, the Cheesegrater and Scalpel.
Among the 18,866 runners who took part this year were some famous faces, from TV stars to former Olympians. Here are their finishing times and what they had to say as they crossed the line.
Dermot O'Leary
The hugely popular British TV and radio presenter enjoyed the race so much in April last year that he took part in it for the second year in a row. He finished in one hour and 50 minutes, beating the 2023 record by one minute and three seconds. After the race he said: “It was windy but it felt great! Halfway through I get distracted thinking, 'I didn't know about that church or that landmark'. It's amazing. The atmosphere is great and you can hear what sounds like a steel band everywhere.”
Vicky Pattinson
TV personality, Queen of the Jungle and now running newbie, Pattison took on the half marathon in support of Cotswold Dogs & Cats Home just weeks after completing the Comic Relief Arctic Challenge (a 50km Arctic expedition with three other female celebrities). Upon finishing, she said: “I finished! The atmosphere was amazing. I struggled for about 10 miles but the energy of the crowds and other runners was infectious and gave me the boost I needed.” She shared photos of the race on Instagram, as well as a post-race video of her blistered feet, saying: “I'm not a runner and starting my training after a race in the Arctic was really tough.” But she ran the course with a smile on her face.
Gabby Logan
Sports broadcaster Logan shows no signs of stopping, from the sidelines of the Six Nations to the streets of London. Twenty years after her last half marathon, she laced up her training shoes and took on the challenge of 13.1 miles in London, finishing with her daughter Lois in 1 hour, 54 minutes and 17 seconds. At the finish line she said: “It was a great atmosphere throughout the race and I really enjoyed it.”
Sophie Raworth
BBC newscaster and RW columnist Sophie Raworth started the race with Logan, completing the half marathon in 1 hour 37 minutes 25 seconds. Raworth describes herself as a “slightly obsessive long distance runner” and this was her first LLHM. “What an incredible race,” she said. She's now gearing up for the big 26.2 mile race in London later this month. Find out how she's conquering her “marathon demons” in her latest RW column.
Stephen Mangan
Actor, comedian, veteran marathon runner, former RW Podcast guest Stephen Mangan completed the course in 1 hour, 45 minutes and 40 seconds. At the finish line he said, “I'm totally exhausted. Someone took the wind out of me. But it was a great day.” What advice would you give to someone who wants to take part in a race like LLHM but isn't quite there yet? “Just do it. Just get started. When you first start running you won't be able to run 100 yards and think you'll never be able to do it. But you just have to keep going. Once you get a good program and stick with it, it's very satisfying.”
Bradley Riches
Autistic actor and writer Bradley Riches recently ran for the National Autistic Society after appearing on Celebrity Big Brother, clocking a time of 2 hours, 27 minutes and 14 seconds. In an Instagram video of him grabbing a Lucozade mid-race, he wrote: “One thing I can say is, if someone with neurodevelopmental disabilities says they can do it, they can do it ⭐️”
Candice Brown
She can bake cakes, pour beer and run around town. Pub owner and landlady, 2016 The Great British Bake Off Winner Candice Brown completed her second Landmarks in 2 hours, 37 minutes and 3 seconds. She ran with partner Nikki Mercer in support of Alzheimer's research.
Arabella Chi
Love Island Star Chee ran for Prostate Cancer UK in honour of her father and uncle who suffered from the disease but were fortunate to have it caught early. She completed the course in two hours, six minutes and 28 seconds. After the race, Chee said she was “full of energy” and that she would “never forget” the support and atmosphere from the crowd.
Eve Muirhead
It turns out that British Winter Olympian Muirhead is not only a curling pro, but also a speed runner, and she was pleased to finish 34th.Number She finished in one hour, 32 minutes and nine seconds, out of a field of 13,822 women. Muirhead raced around the course in the afternoon before commentating on the World Curling Championships. All in a day's work for the Scottish Olympic champion.
AJ and Curtis Pritchard
The Pritchard brothers Love Island, I'm a Celebrity and Strictly Come Dancingdug out their dancing shoes and laced up their running shoes this Sunday. They ran for Mind UK, recording times of 01:38:47 and 02:24:51 respectively. AJ described the race as “tough”, “hot” and “windy” but still “amazing”.
Ethan Payne
YouTuber Payne, better known as Behzinga from the UK YouTube group Sidemen, clocked 02:06:06 despite an ankle injury. He ran for the Single Homeless Project. Who would you like to see run with him in next year's race? Fellow Sidemen's Harry Lewis.
