Vettel Finishes Debut London Marathon in 2:59:08

Retired Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel completed his debut at the 2026 London Marathon on Sunday in 2 hours, 59 minutes and 8 seconds, surpassing his personal goal of breaking the three-hour barrier.

The 38-year-old German, a four-time world champion with Red Bull and Ferrari, ran the 42.2-kilometer course alongside Formula One journalist Tom Clarkson. Their effort supported two charities tied to the sport: the Brain Spine Foundation, founded in 1992 by former F1 safety delegate Professor Sidney Watkins and neurosurgeon Peter Hamlyn to advance prevention, treatment and care for brain and spine disorders; and the Grand Prix Trust, established by Sir Jackie Stewart in the 1980s to assist trackside and factory-based Formula One personnel facing hardships.

Vettel and Clarkson aimed to raise £5,000 but exceeded that target, collecting more than £8,000 by the close of fundraising reports. Vettel averaged a pace of about 4 minutes 15 seconds per kilometer, maintaining consistency with a half-marathon split of 1:29:18 and finishing the second half in 1:29:50.

"It felt very long, but it's been my first time, so I didn't know what to expect," Vettel told BBC Sport after finishing....