Ling started running in 1994 after eating delicious, 10-cent bowls of noodles on a trip to China left her six pounds heavier, according to Runner’s World. In 2001, she ran the Boston Marathon in four hours, 34 minutes and 18 seconds in honor of her late uncle and cousin. The American journalist raised awareness and over $100,000 for pediatric cancer research and the Ali & Dad’s Army foundation.

Photo courtesy of Helga Esteb/Shutterstock.com

After participating in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics and retiring from gymnastics soon after, Strug set a new goal: To run a marathon. She ran her first marathon in 1998 in Houston in four hours, 12 minutes and 6 seconds. The Olympic gold medalist has also participated in the Boston and NYC marathons since then.

The model ran her first marathon in her mid-twenties in Florida in 1985 in four hours, 20 minutes. By 2006, she had crossed the finish line seven more times. Her personal record of three hours, 52 minutes was set in NYC in 1992.

Photo courtesy of Joe Seer/Shutterstock.com

Four days before turning 50 in 2010, Bertinelli crossed the Boston Marathon finish line in five hours, 14 minutes and 37 seconds. She and her trainer ran with more than 500 runners to raise funds and awareness for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Completing the marathon was a test of endurance and one of Bertinelli’s goals after losing 40 pounds on Jenny Craig.

Photo courtesy of Joe Seer/Shutterstock.com

In 1994, Oprah participated in the Marine Corps Marathon, her first and only marathon. She completed it in four hours, 29 minutes and 20 seconds.

This Britain’s Got Talent presenter ran her first marathon in 2008 when she participated in the Flora London Marathon. She trained for eight months, which helped her achieve her finish time of four hours, 13 minutes and 22 seconds. Holden ran for Born Free, the animal charity of which she’s a patron.

Photo courtesy of Entertainment Press/Shutterstock.com

In 2011, this famous mom of eight finished her first marathon—the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon—in four hours, 59 minutes and 21 seconds. She’s been a runner for three years.

Photo courtesy of Helga Esteb/Shutterstock.com

This seven-time Olympic gymnastics medalist participated in her first marathon in 2006 in New York City. Miller ran with Team for Kids, a group that raises funds on behalf of New York Road Runners youth services. She had run in the Jacksonville Half-Marathon previously, and her friend had convinced her to run 26.2 before she turned 30. Miller was 29 when she completed it in four hours, six minutes and five seconds.

When Webb started training for her first New York City Marathon in 2009, she couldn’t run more than five miles, according to Shape. In just 12 weeks, she was able to finish the race in just over six hours. Webb has run the New York City Marathon two more times since then, both to raise money for the Harlem United Community AIDS Center.  

Photo courtesy of Debby Wong/Shutterstock.com

Foot massages were just what the doctors—err, co-hosts—ordered for this Today Show co-host after she ran the 2010 New York City Marathon in just under six hours. The marathon was her first.

READ: 2011 More Fitness Half Marathon Goes The Distance

Want the latest beauty, fashion and lifestyle tips? Click here to sign up for our fabulous weekly newsletter!