James Norton proudly shows off his glucose monitor and poses with his rarely-seen parents after running his ‘gruelling’ first London Marathon and raising £132,000 for diabetes charity

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James Norton finished the London Marathon on Sunday and celebrated by displaying his glucose monitor and insulin pump. He ran the race to raise money for Breakthrough T1D, a charity dedicated to diabetes research.

The 40-year-old actor raised an impressive £132,000 for a charity that’s personally important to him. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 22, and both his mother and sister also live with the condition.

Type 1 diabetes is a long-term condition where the body’s immune system attacks itself, leading to high blood sugar. This happens because the body doesn’t make enough insulin.

This condition is managed with daily insulin injections, which help maintain stable and healthy blood sugar levels.

Before the race, James confessed he had no prior marathon experience and thought running 26 miles was a bit of a wild idea.

The athlete from Happy Valley finished the challenging race in an impressive 4 hours and 29 minutes and shared his accomplishment on Instagram on Monday.

He posted photos of himself proudly displaying his medal, along with heartwarming pictures of him with his parents. He also shared a touching photo of him explaining his glucose monitor to a six-year-old girl named Emma, who also lives with diabetes.

He shared that the race was even harder than expected because he had a chest infection, which made it ‘pretty gruelling’.

The actor, known from the House of Guinness, described the experience as ‘crazy and wonderful,’ and thanked the supportive crowd for helping him through it.

I was so touched by James’ post today! He shared some lovely pictures and wrote the most sincere thank you to everyone who donated. He really emphasized how vital this cause is – it’s not just about raising money, but about making a real difference in the lives of young people with diabetes and their families, and that meant a lot to me.

I did it! It was tough with a chest infection, but the amazing support from the crowds really helped me finish. So much emotion and effort went into it – a truly incredible and unforgettable experience. #londonmarathon

I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who donated to my JustGiving page to support Breakthrough Trust. Thank you so much!

Thanks to a very generous donation from the Bukhman Foundation, we’ve now raised a total of £132,000 and the amount is still growing!

The funds raised will help young people with diabetes throughout the county. Every donation also brings us closer to a cure – something many of us with Type 1 diabetes, including my mother, sister, and the courageous 6-year-old Emma (pictured), are hoping for. Emma was diagnosed at just 2 years old.

I also want to thank the technology that helped me finish the marathon safely. I wear a Dexcom G7 monitor and an Omnipod 5 pump constantly – you can see them stuck to my arm in the photo – and they were crucial for keeping my blood sugar levels stable and ensuring my safety during the race.

‘Love to all my fellow T1D warriors out there. We got this xxx’.

James has become a strong advocate for raising awareness about the disease, ever since his own diagnosis. He first noticed something was wrong when he started losing weight, needing to urinate frequently, and feeling constantly exhausted.

He now views his illness as a positive thing, calling it his ‘mini-superpower.’ It’s given him a deep understanding and compassion for anyone facing challenges that make them unique.

Last year, the actor known for McMafia shared that his diabetes once caused a chaotic situation at a glamorous event. His blood sugar dropped so low it became a dangerous emergency.

He said he took his insulin before the 2024 GQ Men of the Year Awards, anticipating a meal with a lot of carbohydrates.

Insulin helps your body use sugar from food, but people with diabetes need to be careful. If they take insulin without eating enough, their blood sugar can drop too low and become dangerous.

James was disappointed with his meal, which he jokingly called a ‘fashion dinner’. It started with a small, low-carb appetizer of smoked trout served without any bread, and then there was a significant delay before his main course arrived.

As speeches began between courses, his blood sugar went through the floor.

He remembered being soaked in sweat. He was seated at the main table, directly across from Nicole Kidman, and cameras were pointed at them from all directions. He felt he couldn’t stand up because it would be considered impolite.

On the Off Menu podcast with Ed Gamble and James Acaster, James admitted he felt faint and quickly went to a waiter for help, worried he was going to collapse.

He told them, “I have diabetes and need help. Could someone please get me some orange juice quickly?” This immediately caused a lot of chaos, as he was looking very sick.

Just after he received juice and a Pret chocolate bar, a hot bowl of potatoes was quickly brought to his table – right as film star Jude Law was speaking.

Oh my god, it was mortifying! Everyone at the table was staring, whispering, ‘Why is he…?’ I swear, I must have looked like a complete pig, just shoveling in potatoes! And the worst part? It happened right in the middle of someone giving a speech! I just couldn’t help myself, I was totally lost in potato heaven, and apparently, it was a spectacle.

He explained that these kinds of situations happen fairly often, noting that dining out is unpredictable – you can’t control exactly when the food will arrive.

He now wears a device that constantly tracks his blood sugar and sends alerts to his phone whenever it changes.

Before using a continuous glucose monitor, he often woke up in a panic and confusion because of severely low blood sugar levels – what are commonly called ‘hypos’.

He described waking up drenched in sweat, confused, and frightened. He explained that experiencing a low blood sugar episode, or ‘hypo,’ can be very alarming, especially for anyone nearby, as it can cause disorientation and a temporary loss of mental clarity.

James explained that the monitoring technology has significantly improved his health. He said it alerts him before his glucose levels become problematic, allowing him to react quickly. As a result, his glucose is much more stable, and he’s been sleeping much better.

He now uses a Dexcom continuous glucose monitor, and he reports it’s helped him sleep better, feel less anxious, and live a more stable and independent life.

Dexcom makes a massive difference in people’s lives, offering real empowerment and freedom from the daily burdens of diabetes – and that’s the most important thing,” the celebrity emphasized.

I’ve noticed a real trend with continuous glucose monitors – it’s not just individuals using them, but entire families! I’m working with a client right now where he, his sister, and even his mom all benefit from using Dexcom. It’s become a shared tool for managing health and peace of mind within their household.

He chuckled, picturing the scene: “Imagine everyone at the kitchen table, and then suddenly a phone rings. We all instantly reach for ours, wondering who it could be!”

James mentioned that the sensor doesn’t get in the way of his daily life or exercise.

People often think having a medical device restricts what you can do, like with sports such as swimming or running. But it really doesn’t cause any pain – I often forget I even have it. I usually wear mine under my shirt, against my stomach.

He’s acknowledged it can be challenging to maintain privacy while working on film and theater projects, particularly when scenes require him to undress.

He had previously discussed the measures he took to maintain his modesty during nude scenes in the 2023 production of the play, A Little Life.

In an interview with Lampoon Magazine, James explained that he has to cover a sensor each night while performing. He also mentioned securing his microphone to his arm during the show.

During part of the play, I perform completely nude. Normally, the microphone is clipped to my belt, but since I have nothing on, it’s attached to my arm instead. I have a sensor on the other arm, and the sound engineer jokingly calls the whole setup my ‘puck’ – it’s a cute nickname.

I hadn’t thought of it as a puck until now. They cover it with a bandage that matches my skin tone, so it looks like I’m wearing some kind of action figure accessory.

He explained that when his blood sugar starts to drop, he experiences intense anxiety and a feeling of overwhelming dread, sometimes to the point of feeling hopeless.

James has openly discussed needing to have custom pockets sewn into his costumes for certain performances, so he could carry glucose tablets.

He explained in 2017 that performing – whether on stage or on a film set – fills your body with adrenaline, which can disrupt your blood sugar levels.

It’s especially important when I’m performing for an hour and a half. I need to check my blood sugar before the show starts and make sure it’s rising or at least staying steady.

‘In period plays, I’ve had to stitch little pockets in my costume for sugar tablets.’

He remembered an incident from 2011, while performing in the World War I play Journey’s End, when a fellow actor mistakenly believed he was experiencing a diabetic emergency.

He explained that the adrenaline rush on stage made him shake and sweat. He described how things quickly descended into chaos, with the team spontaneously improvising, offering him Lucozade in a teacup with the polite offer of ‘a cup of tea, sir?’ and covering the dugout with biscuits. He jokingly noted that these moments were a surprising intersection of his diabetes and the world of theatre.

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2026-04-28 11:54