These Were the Guinness World Records Broken at the 2024 London Marathon
Could you beat Lee Baynton’s new record of “fastest marathon in a full-body inflatable costume?”
Each year, the London Marathon sees several Guinness World Record attempts, bizarre and wonderful feats like “the fastest female dressed as stationery (2022)” and “fastest marathon in dressed as a film character (Forrest Gump, 2018),” make history books—and 2024 was no exception. But of the 44 world records set or broken during the race, not all were just for costumed runners.
Among the remarkable stories was that of Jono Astle, a Londoner who not only ran the fastest marathon for someone with MS, but also raised a commendable $25,000 for the Multiple Sclerosis Society along the way.
Anthony Bryan, who lost the use of the left side of his body after having surgery to remove a brain tumor as a child, ran the fastest marathon by someone paralyzed down one side of their body, beating the previous time of 5:50. (Bryan, a lifelong supporter of Tottenham Hotspur FC, even met up with Spurs defender Ben Davies before the marathon for some extra encouragement to help him get the record.)
For the costumed runners, the outfits were as varied as the times they ran.
Lee Baynton of Essex ran the fastest-ever marathon in an inflatable costume, clocking a 3:21:07 while raising money for a local hospice. It was Baynton’s sixth marathon, but he said this was his favorite. “All the kids, as soon as they see you, are smiling, high-fiving. Everyone’s cheering and chanting, it’s incredible—I should do this every year,” he told The Independent.
Stephen Cochrane broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon dressed as a scientist, although science could not save him from overheating during the race. “The lab coat gets sweaty, heavy, and you overheat very quickly. By halfway, I was really struggling,” he told the paper.
Simon Killen of Holbeach, England, broke the record for the fastest marathon dressed as a video game character. Ironically, it was not Sonic, but Mario, that Killen chose to beat the previous record of 2:57. It was also Killen’s personal best. No word if he used a mushroom beforehand, though he did complain of cramps.
Some overheated runners could have used a visit from Marcus Mumford, who ran the fastest marathon while dressed as a water tap, with a time of 3:10. Mumford loves plumbing fixtures, previously running London in 2014 dressed as a toilet. “I’m working my way around the bathroom items,” he told The Independent. “People didn’t really know what I was. I was called a weather vane, radio station. It’s all in aid of Water Aid – a fantastic charity.”
The full list of new Guinness World Records titles:
Peres Jepchirchir: Fastest marathon (female, women-only race) - 02:16:16
Richard Whitehead: Fastest marathon (LA3) (male) - 02:42:01
Simone Carniglia: Fastest marathon by a type 1 diabetic (male) - 02:44:33
Stephen Cochrane: Fastest marathon dressed as a scientist (male) - 02:48:51
Simon Killen: Fastest marathon dressed as a videogame character (male) - 02:52:57
Sam Hull: Fastest marathon dressed as a tennis player (male) - 02:59:38
Warren Parish: Fastest marathon dressed as a cheerleader (male) - 03:03:51
Holly Brownlee: Fastest marathon dressed in pyjamas (female) - 03:06:18
Jonathan Astle: Fastest marathon with multiple sclerosis (male) - 03:07:34
Marcus Mumford: Fastest marathon dressed as a tap/faucet (male) - 03:10:50
James Whistler: Fastest marathon dressed as a harlequin (male) - 03:12:00
Alison Stewart: Fastest marathon dressed as a videogame character (female) - 03:19:10
James Applegarth: Fastest marathon in pilot uniform (male) - 03:20:25
Ian Howard: Fastest marathon dressed as a rotating puzzle cube (male) - 03:20:31
Lee Baynton: Fastest marathon in a full-body inflatable costume (male) - 03:21:07
Matt Everett: Fastest marathon dressed as a traffic cone (male) - 03:22:16
Douglas O’Neill: Fastest marathon dressed as a sweet food (male) - 03:28:16
Gilles Dufosse: Fastest marathon dressed as a monarch (male) - 03:32:16
Kate Baldock: Fastest marathon dressed as a Star Wars character (female) - 03:33:12
Toby Norman: Fastest marathon dressed as a three dimensional aircraft (male) - 03:34:27
Ollie Shortt: Fastest marathon dressed as a body part (male) - 03:43:00
Laura Baker: Fastest marathon dressed as a sweet food (female) - 03:45:57
Tom Hall: Fastest marathon dressed as an emoji (male) - 03:50:17
Claire Casselton: Fastest marathon dressed as a skeleton (female) - 03:51:01
Ben Kellett: Fastest marathon carrying a bicycle - 03:54:52
Kimberly Siano: Fastest marathon dressed in a safari suit (female) - 03:54:58
Uilszaya Bodikhuu: Fastest marathon dressed in traditional Mongolian dress (female) - 03:59:56
Jennifer Stack: Fastest marathon dressed as a flag (female) - 04:01:02
Charlie Fitton: Fastest marathon dressed as a snowperson (female) - 04:05:52
Karen Stebel: Fastest marathon dressed as a mobile phone (female) - 04:08:42
Joanne Bridle: Fastest marathon dressed as a clown (female) - 04:16:36
Jani Barré: Fastest marathon in a non-racing wheelchair (female) - 04:19:21
Adrian Bebb: Fastest marathon dressed as a road vehicle (male) - 04:21:41
Andrew Roberts: Fastest marathon wearing chainmail (upper body) - 04:22:24
Alexandra Fresco-Sumner: Fastest marathon dressed as a mechanic (female) - 04:28:58
Caroline Duncan: Fastest marathon dressed in a flight suit (female) - 04:36:16
Emma Whatley: Fastest marathon dressed as a road vehicle (female) - 04:38:30
Andy Fountain: Fastest marathon dressed as a rocking horse (male) - 05:04:52
Phillip Beer: Fastest marathon dressed as a book (male) - 05:08:04
Georgina Box: Fastest marathon in a full-body inflatable costume (female) - 05:10:31
Anthony Bryan: Fastest marathon (CIH) (male) - 05:49:04
Brendan Matthews: Most T-shirts worn during a marathon (male) - 100 T-shirts
Jackie Scully, Frances Walker, Petr Maslov, Aileen Rice-Jones, Daniel Smith, Alex Weight, James Read, Kate Rham, Cameron Sharpe, Michael Edwards: Fastest marathon in a ten-person costume – 06:32:05
Lloyd Martin: Youngest person to complete a marathon (II2) (male) - 06:46:10
posted Saturday April 27th
by Runner’s World