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Evening Standard
18 April 2005

She made her name as an I'm a Celebrity contestant. Now Nell McAndrew has proved she can compete with the country's top athletes.

McAndrew, 31, finished the London Marathon in 3 hours 11 minutes, four minutes under the time required to run in the elite group at next year's marathon.

McAndrew, who wept as she crossed the line, said: "It was the toughest race I have ever done. Because I tried so hard I was a little emotional at the end." Some 33,000 entrants enjoyed glorious sunshine on the 25th anniversary of the first marathon. Paula Radcliffe won the women's event with a time of two hours 17 minutes 42 seconds. Kenya's Martin Lel, 26, was the surprise winner of the men's race, in two hours, seven minutes and 26 seconds.

Olympic gold medallists James Cracknell, Haile Gebrselassie and Sir Steve Redgrave were the official starters of the women's, wheelchair and men's races in Greenwich. Sir Steve then took part in the mass race, finishing in four hours 21 minutes.

Michel Roux won the battle of the celebrity chefs, completing in three hours 18 minutes to beat Gordon Ramsay by 20 minutes. Ramsay said: "It was very hard. My upper body is fine but my legs are killing me."

At the other end of the spectrum was TV presenter Lorraine Kelly, who fought a cold to finish in six hours and 35 minutes.

19/04/2005 - 10:36:42 .BreakingNews ie

Model Nell McAndrew vowed today that she will move home after being burgled as she recovered from her London marathon run.

Her flat in Marylebone, west London, was raided as she recovered from a 3 hour 11 minute London Marathon run which puts her among the elite athletes for next year’s race.

It is the second time in a year that McAndrew, aged 31, has been burgled and now the only way she can feel safe is to move back to her home city of Leeds, West Yorkshire.

“It is the second time this has happened and I can no longer live here,” she told The Sun. “I feel I’ll always have to be looking over my shoulder.”

Her wedding and engagement rings from new husband Paul Hardcastle were among the haul, it was claimed.

Scotland Yard confirmed that the burglary was reported to Marylebone police yesterday at 12.48pm.

A spokesman said: “It appears the premises were broken into overnight.”

They are still investigating what was taken.

McAndrew said she left the rings in the living room after taking them off because she did not want to run in them.

It is believed that wedding gifts, a laptop and a mobile are also missing.