A marathon is a grueling 26.2 miles. Just reading about that distance is enough to make some people feel winded. So imagine running it in a bulky Big Ben costume.
Why would one do this? To break a Guinness World Record of course!
Lukas Bates set up a charity cause through Virgin Money Giving to raise money for Alzheimers and dementia research.
n his bio, he says he will be running in a fabricated suit replicating the look of the Elizabeth Tower to try and break the record for "Fastest marathon while dressed as a landmark — male".
Yes, there is a previous record for this category. I know you were wondering.
This is all well and good, trying to accomplish the dream of breaking a record and raising money for charity.
But how did he run in that thing?
Of course, it couldn't be easy. In addition to running the whole race in that bulky costume, Bates encountered a problem at the finish line.
His costume was too tall.
He tried several times to cross, even attempting to bend over and get his spire over the finish line. However, he ended up requiring assistance, as someone came over to help him bend and cross.
How did that affect his time for the record?
Sad to say that he didn't beat the world record, though the last minute technical issue wasn't to blame. The record sits at 3 hours 34 minutes, while Bates's time was 3 hours 54 minutes.
Bates says his personals best outside the costume is 2 hours 59 minutes, so maybe he just needs to practice. And possibly make a few modifications to the costume.
On the other hand, his goal to raise £1000.00 for charity paid off massively. He stretched far past his goal, sitting at time of writing at £5195.50 raised for charity.
While this is an absolutely wonderful cause, the better contribution may be giving the internet a perfect metaphor for the muddled mess that is Brexit.
Bates deserves a huge pat on the back for the money raised, jokes coined, and just sticking out the race in general. Running a marathon in that get up couldn't have been easy.
But maybe next time, he should find a clock that runs a little faster.
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