BBC News presenter Sophie Raworth and BBC Breakfast’s Louise Minchin will be helping to make the headlines in the first Virtual Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday, 4 October.

Sophie Raworth is a Fulham Palace parkrun regular, with a personal best marathon of 3:27:01 set in Valencia last year. She ran a PB 1:34:41 at the Farnborough Winter Half Marathon in January this year, just before COVID-19 changed all our lives forever.

Louise Minchin was a star swimmer before taking up triathlon and qualifying for the GB Age-Group Triathlon team and competing in the ITU World Triathlon Championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018.  

Stars from the world of sport and screen including Sophie and Louise have accepted the challenge to run the 40th Race – Your Way, along with 45,000 people around the globe who have embraced this unique opportunity. Participants will have 23 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds to run, jog or walk the 26.2-mile distance on the course of their choice, anytime from 00:00 to 23:59:59 BST on 4 October.

The fastest celebrity London Marathon runner ever (2:39:27) is three-time Olympic cycling medallist Chris Newton and he will be competing virtually, along with other elite sports stars like 2016 Olympic gold medallist Hannah Macleod (hockey); former England and Liverpool FC footballer Stephen Warnock and ex-rugby internationals Jamie Peacock and Shane Williams. 

Journalist and broadcaster Deborah James, who hosts BBC’s You, Me and the Big C podcast, is planning to take on the challenge with her friend, writer and fellow cancer patient 'Limitless Em' Emma Campbell and a small group of friends and relatives. Both Deborah and Emma have been receiving treatment at The Royal Marsden Hospital and are fundraising for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. They plan to finish their 26.2 miles on the steps of the hospital, raising awareness of the work it does.

Also taking part are media personalities Chris Evans, Rob Deering, Paul Tompkinson and Ethan Payne (Behzinga) – the YouTuber with more than 4 million subscribers. 

All runners will record their 26.2 miles on a new app, powered by TCS. Everyone who successfully completes the distance will earn the unique 40th Race finisher’s medal and New Balance finisher T-shirt. General entries are sold out but there are a limited number of charity places still available for the virtual Virgin Money London Marathon.    

Full race details at Virgin Money London Marathon here

Image courtesy London Marathon media gallery