Several MPs run the London Marathon every year (Alamy)
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MPs have said running makes them better at their jobs as a record 20 MPs and peers from different parties will take part in the London Marathon today.
Twelve Conservative MPs, three Labor MPs, two SNP MPs, one Independent MP and two peers will take on the 26.2-mile race across London – the most serving politicians ever to take part.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is the oldest MP running, with former Health Secretary and now independent MP Matt Hancock also running. Other participants include first-time marathoner Tory MP Dehenna Davison and Tory MP Alun Cairns, who is running for the 12th time and holds the record – alongside James Timpson MP – for the highest number of London Marathons completed as an MP and was the fastest MP in 2021 , 2022 and 2023.
PoliticsHome spoke to several MPs who took part this year who shared why they believe running a marathon will help them become better MPs.
Why running a marathon makes you a better MP?
Cairns said the discipline required for marathon training helps him prioritize his busy working life.
“For me personally, I think it’s great discipline and structure,” he said, explaining that he starts his training in December every year, ahead of the race in April, and that this “definitely” makes him a better MP.
“I think about problems when I’m on the road for a long time. It’s time to come to yourself, have a little space and think about all the challenges and opportunities and everything else that in a busy life we don’t get the chance to think and talk about it,” he explained.
“The structure during the day gives me focus and if I run in the evening it means I’m not having a drink in Parliament’s bars.”
He added that fundraising has allowed him to get closer to the work of individual charities and causes.
Conservative MP Paul Scully, a former minister who is standing down at the next general election, said running gave him time to “breathe”.
“You need to take a breath, for your own good, for your own health, to let your mind play through a lot of things and reevaluate the important things in life,” he said.
“I think it makes you a better MP because the problem with politics is that we’re in such a bubble, not just the Westminster bubble, but the party bubble, and so you never really have time have for yourself to solve problems.”
The MP said that when he recently got a “stack on social media” after saying there were “no-go zones” in Birmingham and London, he “went for a run at 4am to take out my frustration.” on the roads of Kingston”.
“It’s good for mindfulness: when I’m working out, I put on my headphones and put on some blasting tunes and just concentrate on my pace and the political world just drifts away.”
Dehenna Davison, who will also stand down as MP at the next general election, said she believed this was the “last chance” she had to run the marathon while having the platform of an MP.
Thangam Debbonaire, Labour’s shadow minister for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said running and playing the cello as part of her routine has been important in staying healthy as an MP.
“It has given me personal insight into the importance of physical activity, especially for women who often give up during puberty and never get back into it,” she said.
“And it’s been really important for me to discover that many women who never thought they could play sports discovered that they can run.
“I think it makes me a better Member of Parliament and it gives me a kind of resilience and energy. In my experience, running can even make you more focused and alert, but staying fit and healthy is also important. If you are going to serve the public you need to stay fit and healthy and that can be a challenge with our lifestyle and long hours.”
What causes do you raise money for?
Labor MP Dan Jarvis, a regular London marathon runner, always runs ahead Cancer Research UK since his first wife died of cancer in 2010.
“That was my main motivation for doing it, but as a local MP I talk to people every week who have been affected by cancer, whether they have been diagnosed or have a family member, so the reach of it is so great.” he said .
‘Just as important as the money is running out is raising awareness of early diagnosis. So the earlier you can catch cancer, the better your chances are for a successful outcome.
‘My sub-objective in all this is to say specifically to older blokes, including many of my constituents, who are sort of Yorkshire toughs who don’t go to the GP when there’s a problem: if you think there might be a problem, examine you.”
Several other MPs will stand as candidates for cancer charities: Cairns is raising money Children with cancer UKthe same charity as three-time London Marathon winner Paula Radcliffe, while Scully raises money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
“It’s the profile that allows us to do as much as we can with the money,” Scully explained.
“It just helps more people understand that there is a charity attached to a great NHS hospital, it’s one of the best hospitals in the world.”
Davison is raising money for the National Migraine Centerafter opening up about her own struggles with experiencing severe migraines during her time as an MP.
“The National Migraine Center really matters because of the real impact it can have on people by firstly giving them the belief that they are living with a very real condition that can be completely disabling, but also through just practical support they can actually provide treatment to help people manage the condition,” she said.
“They are not a charity as many people know, which is an added incentive for me to get behind them, just to help spread the word about the work they do.”
Debbonaire is raising money for Refugee rights in Bristol, “a fantastic charity doing just brilliant, brilliant work”.
“Their approach is very much about being guided by what asylum seekers need and want, and involving them as volunteers as much as possible,” she said.
What are your personal goals?
Many MPs said being competitive with themselves and others was part of their nature, admitting they welcomed a challenge that allowed them to focus on something other than politics – especially in an election year.
The 53-year-old Cairns achieved an impressive best time of 3 hours: 28 minutes in 2016, but joked that he is “getting older”.
“Some MPs are younger and so I cannot imagine retaining the title of fastest MP this year, but I will do my best to do so,” he said.
However, he admitted there is a “shadow competition” between MPs – both he and Jarvis named each other as rivals.
Jarvis, who had a time of 3 hours and 39 minutes last year, said he will “dig deep” this time because he hasn’t had much time to train.
“It will be very difficult to go faster than that, and I will personally be very disappointed if that is the case. I will beat myself up,” he said.
“My main competition is with myself, so I don’t like the thought of going slower than last year.”
Scully is aiming for four hours this time, a self-declared “big jump” from his previous times of 4 hours: 18 minutes and 4 hours: 16 minutes.
Debbonaire completed her first marathon in 2019 in 5 hours and 45 minutes.
“So not great, but it was my first, I’m still proud of it because touring is an achievement,” she said. She added that her ultimate goal is to run a sub-four-hour marathon in two years by the time she is 60, but hopes she can achieve 4 hours: 30 minutes or 5 hours this time.
Davison’s main hope is to complete the marathon and not put too much pressure on himself: “I just want to enjoy it and have the shared experience.”
What do you listen to while training?
Many MPs said part of their enjoyment of running comes down to having the time to listen to everything from political podcasts to a fascinating range of music playlists.
Scully listens to a combination of political podcasts, audiobooks, or a “random Spotify playlist or 80s running playlist.”
Maybe by Emma Bunton is Scully’s personal favorite because it “has just the right beat”.
He also recently listened to Rory Stewart’s latest book, followed by Why we get the wrong politicians by Isabel Hardman, Nadine Dorries’ The plotand Bill Bryson’s book The body: a guide for residents.
Cairns is a big fan of the Diary of a CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett, but said he also listens to Virgin Radio Breakfast Show and Matt Chorley’s show on Times Radio. Jarvis, meanwhile, said he listens to several political podcasts but won’t admit his favorite podcast: “It’s going to annoy people…”
Davison enjoyed listening to the audiobook Bridget Jones: Crazy about the boy by Helen Fielding, but mainly revolves around her ‘Happy Taylor’ Taylor Swift playlist with some of her most cheerful songs, as well as some Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo.
Debbonaire said she spends a lot of time putting together the perfect marathon playlist, with a middle section consisting of Beethoven piano concertos, and with techno and electronic dance music at the beginning and end.
“The speed of that, but also the way the music functions, pushes you up, keeps you going, gives you that shot of adrenaline that you really need, especially in the last six kilometers,” she said.
“It’s a big deal for me to spend time alone with music.”
Here you can see all the MPs taking part in the London Marathon.
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