April 5, 2026, 6:18 a.m. ET
The Boston Marathon brings in thousands of runners every year.
It makes sense that a few of them happen to be celebrities.
A few big sports names stick out in the records of celebrity marathoners when it comes to Boston’s big race. Former Boston Bruins player Zdeno Chára, for example, ran the Boston Marathon with many fans cheering him on. Ex-professional cyclist Lance Armstrong also ran the Boston Marathon.
From the world of rock music, Dropkick Murphys member Jeff DaRosa, of Watertown, is running in this year’s Boston Marathon, according to Marathon Handbook reporting. The race this year will be on Monday, April 20.
Here are some of the living celebrities and notable athletes from Massachusetts who have run Boston’s most iconic race:
Uzo Aduba
Most known from her role as Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren in the hit Netflix women’s prison dramedy “Orange is the New Black,” Uzo Aduba completed the 2015 Boston Marathon with a time of 5:03:24.
“Whether you’re going through hills like Heartbreak Hill (the Boston Marathon’s final, legendary incline) or hills like prison sentences, if you keep going the other side of the hill is down,” Aduba told People in 2015. “You just have to push through because what’s on the other side is glorious.”
“The Residence” actress was born in Boston, raised in Medfield, and graduated from Boston University.
Jo Dee Messina
Country singer Jo Dee Messina, who was born in Framingham and raised in Holliston, ran the 2006 Boston Marathon, fighting through a knee injury to complete the race.
She’s known for her No. 1 hit singles like “Bye Bye” and “Bring on the Rain.”
Scott Stallings
Professional golfer Scott Stallings, from Worcester, completed the 2025 Boston Marathon with a finishing time of 4:10:19.
Troy Hoyt
A proud son of Team Hoyt, Troy Hoyt, who grew up in Billerica, is the grandson of legend Dick Hoyt, who died in 2021, and nephew of Marathon icon Rick Hoyt, who died in 2023. Troy Hoyt has finished multiple Boston Marathons.
“When my grandfather could no longer push Rick in races, I had the honor of stepping behind the chair,” Troy Hoyt said on the Team Hoyt website. “Rick and I were always close but that experience we shared changed my reason for running. I now know the answer to every challenge is YES YOU CAN!”
The website said that Troy Hoyt plans to run in the 2026 Boston Marathon.
Dave McGillivray
Born in Medford, Dave McGillivray, the Marathon’s longtime race director, has also taken part in the race himself multiple times. He plans to run again this year.
“I am no Johnny Kelley. I am just grateful to still be here, still running, and still part of the greatest race in the world,” McGillivray said on Instagram.
Shane Sager
Touring harmonica player for music legend Sting, Shane Sager was born and raised in Boston. He ran the 2025 Boston Marathon with a finishing time of 4:35:14. He also ran in 2024.
“Running a marathon makes you realize that ‘impossible’ is simply a complaint; ‘possible’ is a daily philosophy,” Sager said on his Substack in 2024.
Joey McIntyre
Although more known for being part of the boy band New Kids On The Block, Joey McIntyre, who was born in Needham, has dipped his toes into stage and screen acting with appearances on “Fuller House” and “The Heat” and in the stage shows like “Wicked” and “Waitress.”
McIntyre has also dipped his toes into marathon running, as he did when he ran in the 2013 and 2014 Boston Marathon. He finished at 3:57:06 in 2013, just minutes before the explosions went off, later tweeting that he was OK two hours after the attack.
He ran the year after the Boston Marathon bombings, 2014, finishing in 3:48:11. He said on his blog that his heart keeps growing for Boston, where he was raised.
“It’s such a privilege to be a part of this town. This race. This comeback. This home,” McIntyre said.
Rin Velasco is a trending reporter. She can be reached at rvelasco@gannett.com.
