Fundraising for good causes the london marathon stars break records — and more — on epic run

R unning the London Marathon is a test of both mental and physical endurance. And no one knows that better than Kirsty Gallacher, who had to battle through the last eight miles of the gruelling race with a broken toe.

The presenter, who was running the 26.2-mile course to raise money for the Royal Marsden Hospital, refused to give up after suffering the injury when her toe buckled underneath her.

Speaking to HELLO!, the 47-year-old star, who was watched by teenage sons Jude and Oscar, said: “I was very proud to have completed my second London Marathon for charity, though it wasn’t easy as I broke one of my toes on mile 18.

“But I was never going to finish there and I pushed on through, thinking about all those people I was raising money for via the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. The last eight miles weren’t easy and I hobbled over the line, but I completed it.

“The support was incredible and the donations were so important. And to see my two boys on the route and at the finishing line made for a very emotional finish.”

Kirsty was one of several celebrities who took part in the event in central London last weekend. Radio DJ Adele Roberts broke a world record when she became the fastest woman to complete the course with a stoma bag. The 44-year-old finished the race in three hours and 30 minutes, less than a year after completing chemotherapy for the bowel cancer with which she was diagnosed in October 2021.

RECORD BREAKER

“We got the record,” Adele posted on Instagram afterwards. “I was like ‘oh my gosh did we actually do it.’ For ages I didn’t know my time because my watch broke and I couldn’t tell because I set off quite late… so I was just really hoping that I’d managed to do it.

“Thank you so much to everybody who was actually in the race… and also everybody who came out to cheer even though it was raining.” She added: “We did it, up yours cancer.”

Making it a family affair, Mark Wright embarked on the maratho