We all know that celebrities face a lot of pressure to look good, so it's no surprise that famous folks are associated with all sorts of fitness trends from Peloton to pilates. Beyond just looking good or staying superhero ready, though, there are a surprising number of celebrities who are actually pretty hard-core athletes. From open water swimming and Ironman triathlons to so many marathons, some beloved celebrities have been competing in athletic contests of all kinds.
Some celebrities have made the transition from being famous for athletics to being famous for acting or comedy (paging Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson!), but that's not who's going to make this list. This is the list of stars who have been kind of under the radar for their legitimate athletic abilities. While some competed to raise money for charity and others to try to earn Olympic glory, all of them dedicated blood, sweat, and tears to finding their most athletic selves.
There are no special effects, CGI, or stunt doubles here — just 21 famous celebrities who put in the time and training for fitness goals that are way beyond just looking ready for the red carpet.
Mandy Moore
Mount Kilimanjaro, located in Tanzania, is the highest mountain in Africa and one of the five tallest mountains in the world. That means that making it to the top is no small accomplishment. Singer and actress Mandy Moore reached the summit in 2018. She's even flirted with climbing Mount Everest, having trekked to the 17,600-foot-high base camp in 2019.
Gordon Ramsay
Most of us know Gordon Ramsay as the celebrity chef with a fiery temper, but he is also one seriously athletic guy. In addition to having run 15 marathons, he's completed multiple ultramarathons and finished the grueling Ironman triathlon in 2013.
Geena Davis
Like many people, actress Geena Davis watched the 1996 Olympics and was inspired by the athletes, especially in archery. Unlike the rest of us mere mortals, she took that inspiration and ran with it — like, really, really ran with it. At the age of 40, she took up archery lessons and eventually got so good at it that she ended up trying out for the 2000 Olympic team and finished in 24th place in the US Olympic trials. So inspiring!
Jennifer Lopez
We all know that J.Lo has a banging body. No doubt this comes from both her past as a dancer and her clear commitment to fitness. That said, people may not realize that she's also competed in a triathlon. In 2008, she finished the Malibu Triathlon (half-mile swim, 18-mile bike ride, and 4-mile run) as part of a fundraiser for Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
Mel C.
Melanie Chisholm, better known as Mel C. of the Spice Girls, lives up to her nickname of Sporty Spice. She's competed in multiple triathlons and shared with Runner's World magazine that she loves "the routine of training for a race" and that "running is meditation."
Jason Statham
British action star Jason Statham has demonstrated plenty of athletic moves in his movies, including Fast & Furious and The Transporter. What movie fans may not realize is that Jason's athletic fighting skills come from a surprising place — competitive diving. Jason was on the British National Diving Squad for 12 years and even competed internationally in the 1990 Commonwealth Games.
Max Greenfield
Who knew that the star of The New Girl was secretly super athletic? It's true! Max Greenfield, who played the uptight and fussy character of Schmidt, is not only a dedicated Crossfit athlete but he's also completed in multiple triathlons, most recently the Malibu Triathlon in 2021.
Malcolm Gladwell
Podcaster and author Malcolm Gladwell is a seriously speedy runner. Not only was he a Canadian track star in his youth, but he's also held on to his speed while becoming famous. In September 2021, he clocked a 5:15 mile time, which is pretty dang zippy for a 58-year-old.
Natalie Morales
Journalist and former Today cohost Natalie Morales is one seriously sporty TV pro. She has completed multiple marathons and triathlons, did a 100-mile bike ride for breast cancer awareness, and even climbed glaciers in Alaska. She shared in an interview with Women's Health that her bucket list fitness goal is to complete a half-Ironman.
Sean Astin
Rudy! Rudy! Rudy! Yes, Sean Astin, star of the classic sports movie Rudy is secretly pretty athletic himself. He's completed at least 10 marathons and multiple triathlons. In 2015, he completed the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26.2-mile run that makes up the Ironman. And yes, the crowd was chanting "Rudy!" as he crossed the finish line.
Justin Timberlake
Everyone knows that Justin Timberlake has dance moves for days, but he's also seriously talented on the links. He is a passionate golfer who has hosted a PGA event and owns his own golf course. It has been reported that he has a 6 handicap, which puts him in the top 10% of nonprofessional golfers.
Jon Stewart
Before he was cracking people up as a comedian and host of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart (known then as Jon Leibowitz) was a winger on his college soccer team. During his time at William & Mary, he scored multiple goals and joined them in competing in the NCAA tournament. To this day, there is still an award (the Leibo) given at William & Mary to the men's soccer team member with the most positive influence on the team's morale.
Pippa Middleton
Kate Middleton's sister, Pippa Middleton, is a highly motivated athlete with a long list of fitness accomplishments. She competed in a 3,000-mile ultra-distance road bike race, climbed multiple mountains including the Matterhorn, completed a 33-mile cross-country ski race, and did a swim/run race that included six miles of open water swimming followed by a 40-mile train run. That list is exhausting just to look at!
Karlie Kloss
Supermodel Karlie Kloss grew up doing multiple sports but now is a passionate runner as an adult. In 2018, she told Runner's World that running is one of her favorite ways to explore new cities, and that she's trained for marathons and half marathons by running in Paris and New York City.
Chip Gaines
When it comes to fitness, there are moments when it's time to put down the tool belt and put on the running shoes. Or at least there are moments like that if you are celebrity home renovator Chip Gaines. The HGTV star has run both half- and full marathons to raise money for cancer research charities.
Ryan Reynolds
Although he describes himself as more of a "running joke" than a runner, Free Guy and Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds completed a marathon with the very respectable time of 3:50. He ran the New York City marathon in 2008 in honor of his father's fight with Parkinson's disease.
Cynthia Erivo
Cynthia Erivo is not only a dedicated Peloton fan, she's also a runner who even competed a half-marathon and sang and danced in two Broadway shows in the same weekend. Talk about some stamina! Proving it was no fluke, in 2021 she completed a half-marathon the day before walking the red carpet for the Emmy Awards.
Cody Simpson
Australian pop singer Cody Simpson was a promising young swimmer when he put his athletic career on hold to move to the US to pursue his singing dreams (and to date both Miley Cyrus and Gigi Hadid). He recently put his singing career on pause to pursue an Olympic swimming career. Though he made the Australian Olympic trials, he failed to make the team for Tokyo and is said to be considering an attempt for the 2024 Paris games.
Vera Wang
Vera Wang is best known for her incredible wedding gowns, but she's also made several iconic figure skating costumes, including for stars such as Nancy Kerrigan and Michelle Kwan. What many fashion fans don't know is that Vera was an accomplished figure skater and very nearly qualified for the 1968 Olympics in the pairs competition.
Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell has been making people laugh on Saturday Night Live and in movies for years, but his love of running is no joke. He's competed in multiple half-marathons and marathons, including the Boston Marathon. It's been reported that he runs four to six miles per day, which must have been good training for the scene in the movie Old School where he had to run naked down a street!
Christy Turlington
Supermodel Christy Turlington has run 10 marathons, most of them in New York City. She runs to raise money and awareness for her charity foundation, Every Mother Counts, which is dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safer for women around the world. We love her commitment to both athletics and activism.
