Porridge & Paperazzi

For those with the Marathon on their mind, in the immortal words of 80’s soft rock legends Europe ‘It’s the final countdown’, your big 26mile day is almost with you, and you may find yourself humming the Martine McCutcheon classic ‘Perfect Moment’ or indeed you may already be visualising the finish and doing a Blue Peter with a mildly smug ‘and here is one we made earlier’…

At LGN we are proud of our not so subtle linking prose, but while you eat porridge like Goldilocks and the Three Bears and covertly rub Vaseline, it should also be noted that the London Marathon also provides a unique opportunity to share exactly the same experience as many faces from MTV or Heat magazine.

Because on marathon day there is no VIP room, their experience is fundamentally the same as yours, 26miles of London’s finest tarmac.

In addition, while you may be running for personal health and or for a charity close to your heart, spare a thought for the modern day celebrity, possibly coerced into unfamiliar physical pain by an unrelenting PR or managing agent. Just take a moment to consider their task, months of training in conjunction with valiant attempts to appear on iconic TV shows such as Loose Women et al, just for the possibility of being able to smile for 30 seconds while benefiting from the interview with Sally Gunnell at Tower Bridge.

Therefore the LGN top tip this month, is to externalise your own physical discomfort via acknowledging the suffering of a running celebrity nearby, because for 2009 the event is festooned with a plethora of ‘TV personalities’ hunting for Sally’s microphone.

To help you in your quest, we at LGN have listed some of those in the real race for airtime by the anticipated finishing times, so if their times match yours, do your research, look for the entourage, engage in gossip and show them a clean pair of heels.

Great hurdler and great BBC interviewer


3 hours – 3.45
You are skipping along and all of sudden the dream chance to request a Blue Peter badge and more becomes a reality.

Helen Skelton
New addition to the Blue Peter team, has WAG credentials has an anticipated time of a non too shabby 3 hours.

Nell McAndrew
This Yorkshire lady is hoping to break 3.30, but may be undone due to her much renowned weakness for blueberry muffins.

Chris Boardman
An opportunity to ‘get in the hurt box’ with one of the classic hard man of cycling and one of only a few Brits to wear the Tour de France yellow jersey. Chris is aiming for 3.40

No wheels allowed on 26th April Chris

Tony Pulis

No nonsense Stoke City manager, trying to keep his team in the premiership and his time under the magic 3.45

Matthew Macfadyen

Spooks star Macfadyen is effort is no M15 secret & is aiming for 3.45

Gordon Ramsay

"I was 17 stone and needed to get in shape," he was reported in the Telegraph as saying. Aiming to gently bring himself to a simmer in under 3.45

4 – 5 hours
This tempo is rich pickings for celeb hunters, from Kate Lawler, Ronan and even the ‘Reverse Pterodactyl’ impersonator Lee McQueen, the London Marathon has the lot.

Ronan Keating
Engage him with lively banter at 20 miles and he may remind you of the lyrics to his no.1 1999 hit single ‘when you say nothing at all’…. Going for a cool 3.59

Ronan in the 2008 FLM making a new friend – this could be you…

Jenni Falconer
GMTV presenter Falconer is hoping to get under the magic 4 hours

Lee McQueen
Last year's Apprentice winner has been training since February with old-school underground garage tunes and will probably be hoping 'Surallan' appreciates his 4 hour work ethic.

Isobel Lang
Expect showers... of attention, Sky’s weathergirl is aiming for 4.30

Kate Lawler

Big Brother star has London Marathon experience and hoping for 4.50

5hours +
There are benefits of being out running for over 5 hours, to keep you company how about Jonathan Pearce or Jordan the choice is yours...

Jonathan Pearce
Unlikely to be at his commentating best, lest we forget his classic Euro '96 'Ready-Steady-Teddy!' as England beat Holland – 5hours is the target

Katie Price (Jordan)
Running as a duo with pop star hubby Pete and aiming for 5 hours

Running as a couple is good time to talk, oh wearing headphones…

Good luck from all the team at LGN, we hope you have a great marathon day and look forward to seeing and hearing from you on the other side.
http://www.lgnwellbeing.com/