Guinness World Record for NI man at London Marathon

A Portadown man has broken the Guinness World Record for fastest marathon dressed as a scientist.

Stephen Cochrane, 36, who is a university academic, said the time he was aiming to beat was 2:55:40, officially clocked in at 2:48:51.

Mr Cochrane said: “The lab coat gets sweaty, heavy and you overheat very quickly. By halfway I was really struggling.” A record number of people are taking part in the London Marathon in what has been billed as its most inclusive year yet.

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More than 50,000 people are running the 26.2-mile course through the capital on what is a dry and bright day with highs of 12C expected. Runners of all ages aiming to complete the route for charity poured through the start line from 10am on Sunday, some in costumes.

In the elite races, Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir, from Kenya, beat the women’s-only world record to win in two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds.

The men’s race was won by fellow Kenyan Alexander Munyao in two hours and four minutes, ahead of 41-year-old track great Kenenisa Bekele.

Switzerland’s Marcel Hug won the men’s wheelchair race for the fourth year in a row, with a time of one hour, 28 minutes and 38 seconds, while Catherine Debrunner, also Swiss, won the women’s wheelchair race with a time of one hour, 38 minutes and 52 seconds.

All four winners of the elite races will receive £44,000, with the runner-up receiving £24,000 and third place £18,000.

Britain’s David Weir, who came in third place, previously said he had not expected the change to happen in his lifetime.

There were 30 seconds of applause before the race in memory of last year’s elite men’s race winner Kelvin Kiptum, who died in a car accident in February at the age of 24.

He set a new London Marathon record of two hours, one minute and 25 seconds last year with his third win, and set a new world record of two hours and 35 seconds in Chicago in October.

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