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Runners of the Berlin Marathon likely did a double-take as Harry Styles passed them on the 26.2-mile-long route. The 31-year-old pop icon achieved a personal best as he battled the oppressively hot weather and challenging route. Styles often uses silly pseudonyms when out in public, and race day was no different as the “Watermelon Sugar” singer chose a curious fake name for his participant profile.

Harry Styles pays homage to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos with his marathon name

We’re not sure why Styles riffed on Ted Sarandos when he chose his Berlin Marathon name. Going by “Sted Sarandos,” the former One Direction band member is known for using random or humorous pseudonyms when dining out or otherwise appearing in public.

Fans on Reddit joked about his choice, with one commenting, “[Styles is] positioning for a new Netflix Produced movie about Marathons in the Style of ‘The challengers’.” Another wrote, “Maybe he’s a fan of the Studio (Sal Saperstein + Ted Sarandos).” Regardless, running a marathon, especially so skillfully, under the name “Sted Sarandos” likely added some playful humor to Styles’ day.

This isn’t the first time Styles has used a fake name. In the past, the Grammy winner has admitted to registering his hotel rooms under “Oliver Sudden,” a funny take on the phrase “all of a sudden.” He’s also used “Deborah Vance” (actor Jean Smart’s character on the HBO show Hacks) or “D. Vance” when checking into hotels.

Just how impressive is Harry Styles’ marathon time?

Styles kept a low profile during the event — although TMZ caught him — wearing a headband and sunglasses while competing alongside 55,000 other runners. Many participants didn’t notice the singer-actor. One participant, Paralympian Richard Whitehead, managed to take a photo with the mustached celebrity. He captioned the Instagram photo, “2.58 in Berlin with my mate!! Anyone know him!!” with a laughing face emoji.

Styles finished the marathon — one of the fastest and flattest courses in the world, according to FloTrack — with a time of 2:59:13, beating his former personal best of 3:24:07 at the 2025 Tokyo Marathon. For any nonprofessional runner, completing a marathon under three hours is a significant milestone and something that takes years of training. As one Redditor commented, “Sub 3 hours is a brilliant time for an amateur runner.” Another wrote, “Whats really impressive is his splits. He lost almost no time over the second half.” The English singer lost almost no time in the second half of the marathon, running splits of 1:29:08 and 1:30:06.

Styles’ performance at the Berlin Marathon shows dual dedication. For someone with an extremely busy entertainment career, he’s clearly prioritizing his physical health and taking his fitness game seriously.

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