The late, great Strummer ran in three marathons while the Clash were active, none of them in a chicken suit, alas. In 1981, after the release of Sandinista!, he completed the London Marathon with no training whatsoever, confirming his status as one of the stubbornest men in rock. In 1982, just as Combat Rock was coming out, Strummer disappeared for almost a month, either as a publicity stunt or as a power play. (Drummer Topper Headon has said that Strummer wanted to fire him, but first needed to demonstrate his own indispensability to the band.) Strummer had decamped to Paris, where he ran in another marathon. The following year, he ran the London Marathon again, completing the route in 4 hours and 30 minutes and resisting the temptation to duck into a pub along the way.

(Excerpted from the 2006 book Is Tiny Dancer Really Elton’s Little John?: Music’s Most Enduring Mysteries, Myths, and Rumors Revealed, published by Three Rivers Press, written by Gavin Edwards.)