We Asked Bloggers Which Celebs They Want to See Run the Marathon. The Results Will Surprise You!
The People’s (Marathon) Champ
I would love to see to see Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson run the TCS New York City Marathon. In fact, I would even offer to be his training partner and pace him all 26.2 miles, if that’s what it took. In all seriousness, his participation could inspire a lot of people who may not see themselves in the sport, as it would be a former football player turned professional wrestler turned marathoner!
We’ve all seen The Rock’s workouts on Instagram. They’re insane. So imagine if he signed up for a marathon training program. The posts would be epic. Imagine the scene on November 3, 2019. The Rock standing on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge with his “Team Bring It” shirt. Moments later, he would lay the smack down for 26.2 miles, cheered on by the millions—and millions—of The Rock’s fans. And after crossing the finish line, imagine what his legendary cheat meal would look like?
Alison Desir
@alisonmdesir
The TCS New York City Marathon: Where Star (Lords) Come to Run
One of my favorite things about the TCS New York City Marathon is the number of celebrities who come out to run each year. It’s a rare opportunity to share part—or all—of the 26.2 miles with them.
I would like to see Chris Pratt run this year’s race. I understand he may be busy planning a wedding, but running stride for stride with Star-Lord would be an incredible experience, made only better if he was carrying his trusty Sony Walkman, while listening to Awesome Mix the whole time. Dance off at the finish line, too?
Jonathan Greenwald
@runthesix
The Ultimate Challenge
Which celebrity would I like to see run the TCS New York City Marathon? Hands down, it would be Chuck Norris. You know all the Chuck Norris jokes by now, including the running-related ones. Such as “Chuck Norris would run backward to see how it looks to come in second.’ ‘Chuck Norris is so good at running, he won the Boston Marathon in New York City.’
So I am officially challenging Carlos Ray Norris to a race from Staten Island to Central Park (via the official TCS New York City Marathon route) on November 3, 2019.
And if he accepts? Well, I’ll be issuing the challenge for him to run against one of the professional athletes. So, you know, win-win for me either way.
Eric Rayvid
@dirtyoldsneaker
Full House in the Corrals
At 33 years old, there are not too many celebrities I geek out over. [Celine Dion isn't a celebrity. She's a legend and in her own league, so that doesn't count.] But as a kid growing up in Contoocook, New Hampshire, where celebrity sightings were most definitely not a thing, let's just say young Ali would've just about died to have caught a glimpse of her favorite stars of her favorite show.
That's precisely why I think the ultimate TV trio—Full House's D.J. Tanner, Stephanie Tanner, and Kimmy Gibbler—should all train together and run this year's TCS New York City Marathon.
Andrea Barber (Kimmy Gibbler) is a seasoned runner. She would absolutely crush the race, and she'd have a blast every step of the way. Candace Cameron Bure (D.J. Tanner) works out with Kira Stokes, so she's no slouch in the gym, and a marathon could be the natural next step on her fitness bucket list.
I can't vouch for Jodie Sweetin's (Stephanie Tanner) fitness regime, but she just seems fun. And if Candace and Andrea are in, surely Jodie will be down, too. Bonus points if they can get the Olsen twins to join. Triple bonus points if I can cheer from the grandstand with John Stamos (uncle Jesse, of course).
Ali Feller
@aliontherun1
‘King of the World’
We sometimes forget that Hollywood stars enjoy doing other things besides shooting movies or TV shows. So if I were to choose a celebrity I could run next to, it would be Leonardo DiCaprio.
Along with his career-defining work, people look up to DiCaprio due to his active role in climate change and environmental matters. Chances are, I won’t be as good on the screen as him, but I might be able to run faster than him. That is something I would like to test out and it would be a great story to tell people about the time I raced Leonardo DiCaprio through the five boroughs. Also, running a marathon is easier than fighting a bear, which he did in The Revenant.
Monica Gomez
@mongomezmx
Pole Position
I’d like to see Lewis Hamilton run the TCS New York City Marathon. It would be great to see the five-time Formula One World Champion run the five boroughs. He is a competitor and despite the challenges in his career, he keeps rising to the top, being the best version of himself. That is what inspires me to do the same.
Marcus Brown
@themarathonmarcus
Could Robert Downey Jr. Be This Year’s Marathon Iron Man?
Robert Downey Jr. has always been one of my favorite actors. He also seems like a genuinely nice guy in real life so I’d love to have him run the TCS New York City Marathon alongside me this year. I understand Iron Man has problems trying to save the world with Thanos’ arrival, but after The Avengers (hopefully) banish the evil titan, then Downey Jr. may be looking for his next big challenge? And what bigger challenge than the New York City Marathon. Also, who wouldn’t want to see how would Iron man would perform in the race?
Niccolo Briamonte
@nbrmnt
50 Points for Gryffindor
When thinking about who I would like to run TCS New York Marathon with, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) sprang to mind.
Potter has overcome numerous obstacles in his life—escaping the Chamber of Secrets, battles on the Quidditch pitch, surviving the Triwizard Tournament in the Goblet of Fire, and defeating Lord Voldemort! His next big adventure could be Harry Potter and the TCS New York City Marathon.
With Harry Potter by my side, nothing could go wrong (sic). And when things get tough on course, Potter would find a magical solution and save the day. Accio medal!
Florian Liebig
@flooorrriii
A Project for Mindy
I would love to see Mindy Kaling run the TCS New York City Marathon. Correction, I would love to run the marathon with Mindy Kaling. Her two audiobooks have got me through a lot of long runs, had me bent over laughing in the middle of fields, and kept me entertained for hours.
I'd love to repay the favor, or more truthfully, have her chat to me for all 26.2 miles. Come on Mindy, you need a new project!
Charlie Watson
@therunnerbeans
See Ellen Dance to the Finish
I would love to see Ellen Degeneres run the TCS New York City Marathon! I think she would be an amazing ambassador for one of the marathon’s charity partners, too. It’s always great to see people with huge global influence taking on endurance challenges and leading the way.
Shane Finn
@_shanefinn
26.2 Cravings for Chrissy
I would love to see Chrissy Teigen run the TCS New York City Marathon! Think of the social posts! She would provide the most hilarious social commentary throughout training.
In today’s world, she is very authentic and would really tell it how it is, capturing all the highs and the lows. She could also persuade her husband John Legend to sing “New York, New York” at the start line!
Zoe Meskell@milesfitter
You don’t have to a celebrity to run this year’s TCS New York City Marathon. You can claim your guaranteed entry or enter the drawing now.
