Jeremy Hunt was one of several high-profile names pictured beaming with a medal after completing the London Marathon alongside a record number of runners this afternoon.
The Chancellor was one of 49,675 entrants who ran the gruelling 26.2-mile route starting at Greenwich Park, looping past city landmarks including Tower Bridge and Trafalgar Square before crossing the finish line near Buckingham Palace.
Mr Hunt, whose brother is battling cancer, posed with his sister Susie and his sister-in-law Thandi at the finish line after all three completed the run to raise money for the Royal Surrey Charity’s Cancer & Surgical Innovation Centre.
Celebrities including TOWIE star Mark Wright and BBC Radio 1 DJ Adele Roberts – who broke a London Marathon world record less than a year after finishing chemotherapy – were also filled with both joy and relief as they crossed the finish line.
Mr Hunt was running the London Marathon for the second time, having completed it back in October alongside his brother who he said ‘courageously got round the course despite enormous pain’.
Jeremy Hunt was pictured celebrating with his family at the finish line after completing the London Marathon earlier today in support of his brother who is battling cancer
Mr Hunt pictured beaming with his medal after completing his second London Marathon today
Mr Hunt was raising money for the Royal Surrey Charity’s Cancer & Surgical Innovation Centre
The Chancellor was pictured hugging close family and friends after finishing the gruelling run
The Chancellor was one of was one of a record 49,675 entrants who ran the gruelling 26.2-mile route through central London
BBC Radio 1 DJ Adele Roberts, who began using a stoma bag in 2021 following surgery for bowel cancer, completed the fastest marathon for a person with an ileostomy, with a time of 3:30:22
Later this afternoon, the Chancellor shared a selection of marathon photos on Twitter and wrote: ‘FINISH LINE… MASSIVE thank you to all 342 people who donated – we did it! £30,808 raised for and a state of the art Cancer & Surgical Innovation Centre.’
There were fears that Marathon runners would be disrupted by eco mobs descending on the capital today.
In fact, the Met Police even drafted in extra officers as they prepared for 50,000 runners and the same number of eco activists to line the streets of central London.
Despite thousands of Extinction Rebellion activists flooding the streets for the third day of a protest dubbed ‘The Big One’, no disruption was reported.
Four-time Olympic and six-times world champion Sir Mo Farah completed the Men’s elite race in 2hrs 20min 28 sec.
Speaking to the BBC after his finish, an emotional Farah said ‘I’ve got great support here over the years and I wanted to make my last Marathon here.’
Mr Hunt and several celebrities including TV presenter Mark Wright shortly followed the Men’s elite race in waves.
Wright, his brother Josh, and their parents Mark and Carol – who walked the course – were all smiles as they crossed the finish line and posed with medals, having ran as part of Flora’s Making Healthy Switches campaign.
DJ Adele Roberts, who began using a stoma bag in 2021 following surgery for bowel cancer, completed the fastest marathon for a person with an ileostomy, with a time of 3:30:22.
Roberts showed a tiny replica medal for her stoma, which she has named Audrey, in a video posted on her Instagram story where she thanked her supporters, adding: ‘We did it, up yours cancer.’
Mark Wright, his brother Josh, and their parents Mark and Carol – who walked the course – were all smiles as they crossed the finish line and posed with medals
Mark Wright (right) and Josh Wright (left) after they finished their second TCS London Marathon
Former BBC Radio DJ Chris Evans, who is no stranger to a London Marathon, was spotted today
EastEnders actors Adam Woodyatt, Tanya Franks, Scott Mitchell and Sam Woodyatt (L-R), who ran the Marathon in honour of Barbara Windsor
Jake Quickenden was raising money for Sarcoma UK, in memory of his brother late Oliver and father Paul, who both passed away from bone cancer
Chris Evans (right) and Eliud Kipchoge (centre) were pictured at the start of the London Marathon today
Megan Ramsay, daughter of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, took part in the London Marathon today
Participants in the 2023 London Marathon run through Parliament Sq in London on Sunday
Approximately 50,000 runners were taking part raising in excess of £60million for charity
A long distance call? Runner dressed as a red telephone box takes part in the London Marathon
Feeling hungry? Three runners dressed as a caterpillar cake take part in the London Marathon
Eyes on the prize: Participants in the 2023 London Marathon run along the Embankment near Parliament Sq in London on Sunday
Members of the EastEnders cast also took part in the Marathon in honour of Barbara Windsor, who died from dementia in 2020.
Actors from the soap including Natalie Cassidy, Lacey Turner, Adam Woodyatt and Windsor’s husband Scott Mitchell were pictured smiling with their medals in honour of the late actress.
At the finish line, Heather Peace – of the EastEnders troupe – said she was ‘absolutely stoked’ to hear they had raised £50,000 for Alzheimers UK.
The runners set off beneath overcast skies amid temperatures of around 8C, and the downpours came mid-morning, affecting both the elite and mass participation races.
Former BBC Radio presenter Chris Evans was spotted running the Marathon for the ninth time this afternoon. As was Jake Quickenden, who ran the marathon dressed in a giant bone in memory of his late brother and father, after both died of bone cancer.
Former England rugby union captain Chris Robshaw revealed he hit a ‘dark moment’ a few miles into the London Marathon, but the ‘incredible’ crowd kept him going.
The 36-year-old athlete raised more than £9,000 for a charity he founded with his wife, classical singer Camilla Kerslake, which supports young people from less privileged backgrounds through sport and music.
A competitor wearing a costume competes during the 2023 TCS London Marathon
A competitor wearing an Ice Cream fancy dress outfit passes Buckingham Palace during the TCS London Marathon
Pterrific effort: A runner in a dinosaur costume passes across Tower Bridge during London Marathon 2023
One runner was spotted donning a rhino outfit in a bid to raise awareness about the endangered animals
Jack Glasscock, dressed as a Domino’s garlic and herb dip, crosses the finish line of the London Marathon at The Mall
Competitors after crossing the finish line during the TCS London Marathon on Sunday
Runners of all ages were spotted crossing the finish line including Lana Dales, who turned 18 the day before the race. She said it felt magical’ to cross the finish line as the youngest participant in the race.
Miss Dales said that she felt ‘nervous’ beforehand but an ‘element of excitement’ overpowered any worries on the day.
She was running to raise money for the Leukaemia Care charity, after losing her grandfather to the illness 10 years ago and a close family friend in November. ‘I think they’d be really proud, especially my granddad,’ she said.
Jeremy Joseph, the owner of London’s famous G-A-Y nightclub, said the London Marathon was ‘leading the way’ for diversity and inclusivity in sport.
The 2023 event hosted participants classed as non-binary for the first time, with 118 people who identified as gender-neutral on their entry forms taking on the challenge.
There were fears that eco mobs would target the London Marathon but they chose to support runners
Women were also able to access free sanitary products throughout the route for the first time and use ‘Peequals’ – female urinals which have been tested at music festivals including Glastonbury.
Mr Joseph said: ‘Every sporting event needs to feel inclusive. Everybody needs to feel that if you love that sport, whatever that sport is and whoever you are, you should be able to do it.
‘We need to see those changes in all sports, and London Marathon is definitely leading the way.’
Some £60million is expected to have been gathered for charities in total.
