Did you secure your spot for the London Marathon 2024?
It’s never too late to make history, and applications to break a record at the London running event of the year are officially open.
If you have secured your place for the event and plan on breaking a record at the 2024 TCS London Marathon, make sure you have your costume and application submitted before the deadline: Friday 9 February.
The sky is the limit when it comes to fun costumes, so spread your wings and unleash your creativity: make sure to submit an application following the bullet points on the Guinness World Records web page and start training for the big day, Sunday 21 April.
Looking for motivation?
Read our tips to run a marathon in a costume!
Applying for a record is entirely free for the London Marathon.
However, to break a record on the day you’ll have to secure a spot at the event first!
Note that, to be attempting a record at the 2024 TCS London marathon, you must already have secured a place in the marathon via the ballot or through a charity.
Places for the marathon are not available via Guinness World Records: find out how to secure a spot for the marathon on the TCS London Marathon's website, and then apply for a record here.
A total of 44 records were broken by people in costumes during the TCS London Marathon 2023.
The first record-breaking runner to cross the iconic finishing line on the day was Alex Grady, who ran the fastest marathon dressed as a boxer.
Alex was running for Power2, a charity that has many synergies with his personal beliefs.
"I write kids' books and do public speaking gigs that align directly with what this nonprofit seeks to fortify at a young age," he explained.
"Being able to achieve a Guinness World Records title was the icing on the cake."
From elaborated shrimp costumes and playful lifeguard attires, up to the admirable feat of running while carrying a whole fridge, here are some of the most impressive records achieved at the 2023 event:
- Matthew Friend (UK): Fastest marathon in a Kung Fu uniform - 03:28:10
- Jack Meegan and Daniel Gallagher (both UK): Fastest marathon with two runners handcuffed together (male) - 02:53:33
- Alex Grady (UK): Fastest marathon dressed as a boxer - 02:38:52
- Thomas David Hall (UK): Fastest marathon dressed as a lifeguard (male) - 02:42:22
- Sam Hammond (UK): Fastest marathon carrying a household appliance - 04:52:10
Runner and BBC Radio 1 DJ Adele Roberts also changed history by breaking the record for the fastest marathon with an ileostomy (female) after being diagnosed with Stage 2 bowel cancer.
After undergoing an ileostomy (an opening in the belly that is made through surgery and that is used to move waste out of the body) due to her condition, the 44-year-old DJ crossed the finishing line at 3:30:22.
“We’ve just set a #GuinnessWorldRecords title for the fastest marathon with an ileostomy… less than 12 months since I stopped chemotherapy. Anything is possible,” she wrote on her Instagram.
The 2023 event also saw a new result for the fastest time to run the London Marathon (male): Kenyan runner Kelvin Kiptum finished the massive feat in only 2 hours 1 minute 25 seconds.
Kiptum also smashed the record for the fastest marathon, registering a time of 2 hr 35 sec during the 2023 Chicago Marathon.
It was only the second time Kiptum tried the long-distance London event, but he claimed his win at the London Marathon and smashed the overall record for the fastest time completing the event.
With such an unprecedented result, we can't wait to see what other records await Kiptum at the finishing line!
So what’s your excuse? Get running!
If you love watching records being broken you should check out our Records Weekly series on YouTube...
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