Virgin London Marathon 2014: All the world records from this year's race confirmed

By Kevin Lynch
Published

Pic: Reuters

Sunday’s Virgin London Marathon saw a host of new world records set after 36,000 runners took on the 26.2 mile course.

Wilson Kipsang from Kenya won the event in a new course record time of 2:04:29 - 11 seconds faster than Emmanuel Mutai benchmark finish set in 2011.

Wilson-Kipsang-London-marathon-2014.jpg

Pic: Reuters

Elsewhere, Britain’s double Olympic hero Mo Farah, who was running his first competitive marathon, finished in eighth place, missing out on breaking the British record of 2:07:13.

The women's elite race was won by Kenya's Edna Kiplagat in a time of 2:20:21, while

Switzerland's Marcel Hug and the USA's Tatyana McFadden won the men's and women's elite wheelchair races.

Guinness World Records, partnered with the Virgin Money London Marathon for the seventh successive year to provide on-the-spot record verification to over 100 runners at this year’s race.

We can confirm that a total of 30 new records were achieved.

Thirty-three-year-old Alex Collins from London was the first runner to record a Guinness World Record.

Dressed in a stunning all body tiger costume, Alex recorded a time of 2 hours 48 minutes to break the Guinness World Records title for the fastest marathon dressed in animal costume.

After being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in August 2013, Alex was told that exercise would be ‘complicated’. This prompted Alex to sign up to run the Virgin Money London Marathon and to prove that people suffering from the condition could complete such challenges – and also achieve a Guinness World Records title.

New record - fastest marathon dressed in animal costume! Alex Collins dressed as a tiger: 2h 48m 29s #LondonMarathonpic.twitter.com/07dqlWtvv6

Another of the day's earliest finishers was 31-year-old David Stone from Exeter, who set a new Guinness World Records title for the Fastest marathon dressed as a television character with a time of 2h 49m 51s

David, who was dressed as a character from 1960’s childrens show Thunderbirds, was competing in his 16th London Marathon and 53rd marathon overall.

Finishing just behind David was 43 year-old Steven Nimmo from Orpington, who set a new Guinness World Records title for the Fastest marathon in school uniform (male) in a time of 2h 50m 17s.

Running in his sixth marathon was Ali King, 31, from London, who today set a new title for the Fastest marathon dressed as a baby (male) in a time of 2h 51m 18s.

Thirty-five-year-old year-old Marcus Mumford from Worcestershire set a new title for the Fastest marathon dressed as a toilet in a time of 2h 57m 54s.

Marcus ran in the Boston Marathon last year which was sadly targeted by terrorists and luckily finished the raced before the bombs exploded. Marcus is running for WaterAid who he believes that everyone is entitled to clean water.

Another eye-catching record-setter was 36-year-old Lee Goodwin from Stoke-on-Trent who set a new title for the Fastest marathon in a wedding dress (male) in a time of 3h 00m 54s.

Lee wants to raise as much money as possible for North Staffordshire Paediatric Intensive Care Unit who helped a close friend’s young child throughout his treatment after contracting meningitis.

He is currently studying for a sports degree and to fulfil his lifelong ambition of becoming a secondary school PE teacher.

Rik Vercoe, 43, from Walton of Thames rustled his way to a new world record for the Fastest marathon dressed as a cowboy in a time of 3h 09m 09s.

Rik is a prolific marathon runner and is set to surpass 300 marathons this year.

A slightly more futuristic hero was 38-year-old Simon Couchman from Birmingham has set a new Guinness World Records title for the Fastest Marathon dressed as an astronaut in a time of 3h 08m 45s.

Simon is a Creative Director of a Marketing Agency and lives in Lancaster with his wife and 1 year old baby daughter.

Ross Birkett went for a sporting them for his world record attempt has set a new Guinness World Records title for the Fastest marathon dressed as a Jockey reaching the finish line in 3h 08m 30s.

A new record was set for Fastest marathon in a nurse's uniform (female) by Caroline Pleasence who made it home in 3h 13m 58s, while 37-year-old Sarah Dudgeon from Oxford set a new Guinness World Records title for the Fastest marathon in a wedding dress (female) in a time of 3h 16m 44s.

Sarah has two chosen charities: the first is British Heart Foundation as her dad was born with congenital heart disease and the charity has ensured he has led a full life; the second is Action Medical Research who funded her grandfather to test the rubella vaccine he invented.

Sarah Dudgeon sets a new record for the fastest marathon in a wedding dress: 03:16:44 #LondonMarathonpic.twitter.com/V09lI94BFZ

Tom Collins from London was probably looking for inspiration from the heavens as he clocked a time of 3h 29m 32s to set a new Guinness World Records title for the Fastest marathon dressed as a monk. Tom was running for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation - a charity that has been close to his heart after his brother was diagnosed with diabetes last summer.

Other records set today have included:

It wasn’t just fancy dress records that were broken.

Forty-eight year-old Gill Begnor from Banbury set a new Guinness World Records title for the fastest marathon carrying 20-lb back pack (female) in a time of 05:07:56. This was Gill’s fourth marathon and helped her raise money for Cancer Research UK, for which she runs a local fund raising group.

56 year-old Susie Hewer from East Sussex broke her Guinness World Records title for the longest crochet chain whilst running a marathon.

It took Susie 5 hours 40 minutes to cross the line and the chain measured 139.4m. This was Susie’s 34th marathon. She raises significant money for ‘Alzheimer’s Research UK’, an illness that has affected her mother before her death.

Stuart Bailey, Andy Newman, Earl Edwards and Adam James from Wolverhampton set a new Guinness World Records title for the fastest marathon in a four-person costume (male) in a time of 06:29:44.

Their costume, a 14ft replica of the ‘Cool Running’s Bobsled’, was carried in support of ‘Children With Cancer UK’.

The final record to be achieved on the day was by the ‘Huddersfield Marathon Band’, who reclaimed their record for the fastest marathon by a marching band.

The 33 piece ensemble finished in 6 hours 56 minutes, helping to raise nearly £60k for their charity Sense.

In full - All 30 records set at the Virgin Money London Marathon 2014:

Fastest marathon in an animal costume (male)
Alex Collins (GBR)
02:48:29

Fastest marathon dressed as a television character
Stone, David (GBR)
02:49:51

Fastest marathon in school uniform (male)
Steven Nimmo (GBR)
02:50:17

Fastest marathon dressed as a baby (male)
Ali King (GBR)
02:51:18

Fastest marathon dressed as a jockey
Ross Birkett (GBR)
03:08:30

Fastest marathon dressed as an astronaut
Simon Couchman (GBR)
03:08:45

Fastest marathon dressed as a cowboy
Rik Vercoe (GBR)
03:09:09

Fastest marathon in a nurse's uniform (female)
Caroline Pleasence (GBR)
03:13:58

Fastest marathon in a wedding dress
Sarah Dudgeon (GBR)
03:16:44

Fastest marathon dressed as a toilet (male)
Marcus Mumford (GBR)
02:57:28

Fastest marathon in a wedding dress (male)
Lee Goodwin (GBR)
03:00:54

Fastest marathon dressed as a monk
Tom H Collins (GBR)
03:29:32

Fastest marathon dressed as a bottle
Paul Simons (GBR)
03:31:57

Fastest marathon dressed as an organ
Adam Giangreco (GBR)
03:36:42

Fastest marathon dressed as a logo (male)
Kevin Hunt (GBR)
03:37:14

Fastest marathon dressed as a postman
Pete Waumsley (GBR)
03:47:35

Fastest marathon by a mascot (male)
Francis Gilroy (GBR)
03:51:50

Fastest marathon dressed as an organ (female)
Emma Denton (GBR)
03:52:02

Fastest marathon dressed as a tap/faucet (male)
Alan Quartermaine, Richard (GBR)
03:52:09

Fastest marathon dressed as a crustacean (male)
Oliver Michael Henry Johnson (GBR)
03:55:13

Fastest marathon dressed as a playing card (female)
Lisa Jane Wright (GBR)
04:23:57

Fastest marathon in a fireman's uniform
James Dajlid (GBR)
04:39:13

Fastest marathon dressed as a doctor (female)
Naomi Garrick (GBR)
03:54:06

Fastest marathon dressed as a nut
Spenser Lane (GBR)
04:29:36

Fastest marathon carrying 20lb back pack (female)
Gill Begnor (GBR)
05:07:56

Longest crochet chain whilst running a marathon
Susie Hewer (GBR)
Crochet chain measured 139.4m. Marathon finishing time of 5h 40m 47s.

Fastest marathon wearing chainmail (upper body)
Michael Charles Dodd (GBR)
05:49:07

Fastest marathon dressed as a telephone box
Simon (Sid) Keyte (GBR)
05:54:52

Fastest marathon in a four-person costume
Stuart Andrew Bailey (GBR), Andy Newman (GBR), Adam James (GBR), Earl James Edwards (GBR)
06:29:44

Fastest Marathon by a Marching Band
Huddersfield Marching Band
6:56:44

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Virgin Money London Marathon 2014: The amazing runners looking to set a world record on Sunday