by Mbio Staff March 06, 2018

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Now that the Oscars are over, how about a little fun...

You may not be surprised to learn that fit celebs like Heidi Klum, Channing Tatum, and Reese Witherspoon, as well as other-sport athletes like Apolo Ohno, Doug Flutie, and Marion Bartoli run on their off-time and even compete in marathons, but there are also a slew of stars you might never suspect of stepping into running shoes and pounding the pavement for fitness. Here are seven celebrities you probably didn't know were devoted to running.

  1. Will Ferrell

Yeah, okay, he uttered the famously funny line, "We're going streaking!" before inciting a drunken, naked, and notably solo run to the quad in the movie "Old School". Does that make him a runner? No. But the fact that he completed the Boston Marathon in 2003, and with a time of 3:56, no less, certainly qualifies. If only he'd done it with Cheri Oteri in their cheerleader uniforms...

  1. Joe Bastianich

You've probably heard the phrase "never trust a thin cook", but that apparently doesn't apply to Bastianich, the restaurateur and winemaker who has notably been tapped as a judge on cooking competition "MasterChef". He started running in 2006 as a way to drop 50-plus pounds, ran his first New York City Marathon in 2007, and ended up with times of 3:42:36 in 2009 and 3:47:03 in 2011. He also competes in Iron Man triathlons.

  1. Kevin Hart

Funnyman Hart can certainly run away with a crowd during his hilarious standup routines, but most people probably don't know he is also insanely fit and devoted to running. In fact, he graced the cover of Runner's World in 2016 after participating in the 24-hour Hood to Coast run in Oregon as part of a 12-person team.

The 199-mile race is run in segments, and Hart completed 18 miles of it. He has also partnered with Nike to sponsor "spontaneous 5Ks" and his "Move with Hart" campaign designed to motivate physical fitness.

  1. Natalie Dormer

You may know this gamine British actress as scheming Margeary Tyrell from "Game of Thrones", Irene Adler/Moriarty (aka Sherlock's love interest/#1 nemesis) from CBS's "Elementary", Anne Boleyn from "The Tudors", or from her turn as Capital filmographer-turned-rebel Cressida from "The Hunger Games" movies. Her impressive filmography is nothing compared to her dedication to running, though.

After completing the London Marathon in 2016 with a time of 3:51:21, she expressed displeasure for failing to surpass her 2014 time, which was 24 seconds faster. Still, she raised $7,200 for The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children's ChildLine service, so not a total loss.

  1. Drew Carey

If you've followed Drew Carey's career from his time on "The Drew Carey Show", to his stint as the host of the relaunched "Whose Line Is It Anyway?", to his current gig as the host of "The Price is Right", you've probably noticed an incredible weight loss over time. In fact, he lost over 100 pounds, and as part of his journey, the former Marine Corps reservist participated in the Marine Corps Marathon in 2011, finishing with a time of 4:37:11.

  1. Ellie Goulding

This British songstress is better known for EDM beats and a half-shaved hairdo than she is for her fitness regimen, but it turns out running is a big part of her routine. She frequently hits the road for 5-6 mile runs, even when she's on the road, touring, and she sometimes hops of Facebook first to invite fans to join her for a jog. At home, she purportedly spends 25 minutes jogging to the gym instead of driving over for her workouts.

What's more, this is no hobby for the trim, platinum-selling songbird. She finished the Nike Women's Half Marathon in Washington, D.C. in 2013 with a fairly impressive time of 1:41:33, which placed her at 362 out of some 15,000 participants. She since became a brand ambassador for Nike.

  1. Sean Astin

In "The Goonies", he evaded capture by the gun-toting Fratellis, and much later he joined pal Frodo in "The Lord of the Rings" movies to evade capture by Sauron's orcish minions. In his real life, however, he's spent a lot of time running toward a finish line, first as a cross country runner in high school, and later running marathons, not to mention the JFK 50 Mile (twice).   Astin actually credits running marathonswith helping him deal with the stresses of his mother's bi-polar disorder and being a child actor.

Got a question?   We'd love to chat...just click here.

Mbio Staff
Mbio Staff



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