Celebrity marathon scandals: Stars who faced cheating allegations, couldn’t finish and gruesome medical emergencies

The London Marathon is back on Sunday, and many celebrities will be running the 26.2-mile race to raise money for charity.

Many celebrities have amazed both their fans and themselves by accomplishing something truly extraordinary over time.

Keep an eye out for celebrities like Cynthia Erivo, AJ and Curtis Pritchard, and James Norton this year. You can find more details about it here.

Although many people have successfully completed the race, some celebrities have later wished they hadn’t participated.

Honestly, it’s been a total rollercoaster watching this competition! I mean, some golfers have been caught cheating – can you believe it?! – and others just haven’t been able to push through and finish. But the worst part? Seeing some of them suffer serious medical issues right there on the course. It’s terrifying, but I still can’t look away!

So who are the stars that ultimately ran out of steam?

Joel Dommett

Joel Dommett is a fitness fan, but he really pushed himself too hard during last year’s London Marathon. He actually fainted at mile 17 and ended up waking up in an ambulance.

Joel shared that even though he was frightened, he managed to complete the race. He had to wait a few hours with medical staff to make sure his heart rate returned to normal before he could finish.

The race didn’t go as planned! He collapsed at mile 17 and doesn’t remember much after that, waking up in an ambulance. He’s grateful to Frankie and Barry for their help.

I was determined to complete it, and after a slow start, I found my rhythm and was able to truly appreciate the experience. I’m proud of myself for seeing it through.

Just before, the 40-year-old comedian posted photos on Instagram with paramedics. This came only hours after he’d shared a look at his busy schedule leading up to the show.

He explained that his final stretch actually started a full 24 hours before, when he left his home in Southwest London. He’d driven to Leeds for a comedy show, then continued on to Cambridge for the night, adding another two and a half hours to his trip.

Joel arrived in Cambridge and, assuming he fell asleep immediately, got about six and a half hours of sleep. He woke up at 6:30 AM on Sunday and left his hotel at 6:45 AM to head to the Greenwich area.

Okay, so I was stalking his Instagram, obviously, and I saw his whiteboard – it was all planned out, every single minute! But it didn’t stop there! He then went for a half-hour run just to warm up before the marathon even started! Can you believe the dedication? I was completely mesmerized, watching him head to the starting line. It was… perfect.

He said he needed to leave within three hours so his baby, Wilde, could nap on the drive home.

After his workout, Joel was really looking forward to an ice bath and a good meal. Everything was scheduled so he could be picked up at 4:45 pm and head straight to the film set – I always keep up with his schedule, and it’s impressive how he balances everything!

Yet this plan was scuppered by his impromptu stint with the paramedics.

Katie Price

In 2018, Katie Price didn’t finish the London Marathon. Instead, she spent time having lunch with her seriously ill mother, Amy, as other runners completed the 26.2-mile race.

The TV star was running a race to raise money for the British Lung Foundation, but had to stop due to a knee injury. After three hours, police officers finished the race carrying her large lung-shaped costume.

I was absolutely gutted when I saw Katie leave the show so early! Apparently, she was having tea with her mum, and it all makes sense now. You see, her mum is seriously ill with this awful thing called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis – it’s a lung disease – and Katie was doing it all for her, a second time around! It just broke my heart seeing her go, but I totally understand. Family first, always, and it’s so brave of her to even try while going through all that.

After Katie withdrew, Amy posted a supportive message, explaining she respected Katie’s decision and was incredibly proud of the attention her daughter had brought to lung health.

Amy shared how proud she is of her daughter, Katie, for participating in the London Marathon. Even though Katie didn’t finish, Amy emphasized that she significantly raised awareness and funds for the British Lung Foundation, making the effort worthwhile.

Katie responded to criticism about her training by explaining that she did prepare for the run and gave it her all, even though she was wearing bulky clothing. Ultimately, she said, her mother’s approval is what’s most important to her.

During a 42km race, Katie’s location disappeared from the live tracking system somewhere between the 10-15 kilometer marks. Later that evening, around 6pm, she was seen on Instagram Stories having ice cream with her family.

The performer apparently told the audience, ‘I can’t go on, I want to stop now.’ If she’d kept up her walking speed, she was expected to finish around 6:44 PM.

One fan said they spotted Katie relaxing with afternoon tea, even though other contestants like Chris Evans and Rochelle Humes hadn’t finished yet.

Georgia Harrison

Georgia Harrison finished the London Marathon in four hours in 2019, but her completion sparked some debate.

She confessed to not practicing much, and fans accused her of cheating as a result. However, her representative quickly denied these claims.

The Daily Mail reported that the TV star suffered a tear in her left gluteal muscle about six miles into the 26.3-mile race. She didn’t realize the source of the pain until she saw a physical therapist the following day.

I was so worried to hear about Georgia! Apparently, about ten miles into the London Marathon on Sunday, she felt a sudden pull in her glutes. It must have been incredibly painful, right in the middle of the race!

As she ran, her pain increased, but she successfully completed the marathon in four hours. Afterwards, she noticed her left glute was swollen and red.

Today, she visited her physiotherapist and learned she had a sudden tear in her gluteus maximus muscle.

‘The physio said he’s amazed she was able to finish the race with that sort of injury.’

After finishing, 31-year-old Georgia shared with her Instagram followers that her legs and knees were really sore. She said she needed a few days to recover, but it was absolutely worth the effort.

Responding to questions about marathon training, Georgia jokingly confessed she’s not the best person to offer advice right now, explaining she’s spent most of the month celebrating a bit too much.

I wasn’t adequately prepared for the event. I only managed one long practice run, and I arrived back home at three in the morning the night before. I don’t have much experience with training plans, as I didn’t do a lot of preparation.

Natasha Argent

In 2016, Natasha Argent had to return her medal after London Marathon officials investigated her finish time of under four hours for the 26.2-mile race.

She completed the last 20 kilometers in 48 minutes, but her run wasn’t without issues. She failed to visit 11 of the 24 required checkpoints after accidentally going off course, which led to accusations of cheating.

Organisers confirmed that the runner had given back her medal and will no longer be allowed to participate in future London Marathons.

Natasha, sister of reality TV star James Argent, responded to claims she intentionally left the race course, explaining that a panic attack caused her to do so.

I was so worried when I heard about Natasha! Apparently, during a moment of needing to collect herself, she accidentally wandered off the race route. It was a bit chaotic, and she got mixed up, but thankfully she managed to find her way back and finish the last part of the race with the other runners. I was so relieved to hear she was okay and completed it!

Let me tell you, races can be so disorienting! I realized I’d taken a wrong turn and just kept running, probably for a good mile, before finding a race official. I explained I was completely lost and asked him to point me back in the right direction – I was really worried about not being able to find my parents, who were waiting for me at Canary Wharf. It was a bit of a panic, honestly!

Natasha said the official told her there was ‘no way’ she could go back.

She explained that the crowd’s support felt undeserved and was upsetting. She also apologized to anyone she may have offended.

The official Virgin Money London Marathon website published race times, and people following Natasha’s run noticed some unusual data.

They announced that she completed the course in a little under four hours. But photos showed Miss Argent having difficulty lifting her feet as she walked slowly down the Mall.

The race results revealed she finished the last 20 kilometers in less than an hour, which works out to an average pace of under four minutes per mile. This is an exceptionally fast speed, even faster than that of renowned runner Mo Farah.

It also seemed she hadn’t registered at several electronic checkpoints, which made people wonder about the path she followed.

A few sharp-eyed people on social media noticed some inconsistencies, and the claims of cheating quickly spread online, with many users voicing accusations.

Mo Farah

Even Mo Farah, a world-class marathon runner, had a difficult time during the 2018 London Marathon, making some mistakes when trying to get his water bottles.

Around the 28-minute mark, at the 10km water station, he accidentally grabbed the wrong drink bottle. He immediately threw it away when he realized his mistake.

Shortly after, he was spotted yelling at the marshals riding motorcycles, and then he had a conversation with one of them further down the road.

Around 57 minutes into the race, at the 20km drinks station, Mo briefly lost five seconds when he had to run back for his water bottle because he got disoriented.

When quizzed about the incident later he appeared to blame the volunteers for not helping him.

He explained that the drink station was disorganized and difficult to navigate. He was assigned to table four and went to collect his drink, but initially, the staff seemed more focused on taking photos than serving customers. They were helpful eventually, but the initial service was slow.

I asked the motorcyclists to ask the staff for some help instead of taking photos. I wasn’t upset, I was just thirsty and needed to get a drink. It was important that I handle the situation correctly.

Mo’s water bottles held a unique blend of carbohydrates and salt provided by the sports drink company, Maurten, according to his coach, Gary Lough, in an interview with the Daily Mail.

Romesh Ranganathan

Romesh Ranganathan completed the 2024 London Marathon, but people were surprised to learn it took him six and a half hours – a remarkably long time to finish the race.

The comedian, 48, explained his show ran two and a half hours longer than usual because he drank a lot of water, there were long lines for the restroom, and he got caught in a negative thought pattern from a previous performance.

Romesh recently told Runner’s World that he used to have no idea about proper nutrition for running. He’d only ever run 10Ks, and he thought you could complete that distance without needing to fuel up – which is what he was doing.

Let me tell you, even as someone who regularly runs, I definitely have those days! I was attempting a 16km run just outside of Ipswich recently, and I completely hit a wall. I was pretty much stranded, way out in the countryside, and just couldn’t physically continue. Honestly, I had to swallow my pride and order an Uber back to the hotel. It’s a good reminder that even the best of us have off days!

It frightened me so much that when I ran the London Marathon, I was terrified of hitting the wall again, so I held back and ran cautiously.

I kept eating and drinking whenever possible, stopping at every water station along the way. I finished in six and a half hours, which is about the speed of a fast walk.

To be fair, I was busy taking selfies and didn’t notice how long the bathroom lines had gotten.

I was so inspired when Romesh decided to run the 2025 Marathon again, even after a tough race before! He was determined to finish in under five hours, and I was really rooting for him.

He didn’t quite reach his goal, but he did improve his time significantly, finishing the race in six hours – half an hour faster than before.

He opted not to sign up for a third attempt this year.

2026-04-26 12:06