They came from around the globe, aged in their teens to their 80s. They were dressed as Labubus, pints of beer and kangaroos. One wore thongs and carried a surfboard, while another donned dozens of underpants.
Sydney’s debut as a World Marathon Majors event wasn’t just a testament to athletic prowess. It was also a celebration of creativity, culture and smashing little-known world records, with many participants opting to stand out in their long-distance attire.
Of the 32,885 people who completed the marathon, 13 runners received a coveted Guinness World Record when they crossed the finish line at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday.
Adjudicator Brian Sobel said he was “always inspired” by participants, and it was a joy to witness runners “strive to break both their personal bests and the world record”.
“This year, the 13 who achieved a Guinness World Record will walk away remembering their feats, having secured a place in the iconic pages of the next annual,” he said on Monday.
Daniel Byrnes broke the previous world record of 52 underpants worn by a male during a marathon while also raising money for Bowel Cancer Australia. He completed the 42km course in 04:33:20 – with all 53 underpants still in place.
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The Sydneysider took 15 minutes to put on the undergarments for the Guinness adjudicator, and they weighed him down by an extra 5kg.
“They recorded me putting on every pair of underwear,” the 37-year-old said. “At the end, the poor guy from the Guinness World Records was still there, having to pull down my sweaty undies to verify it … he doesn’t get paid enough, that’s for sure.”
His hips, understandably, were “no good” and “really bruised” on Monday afternoon. It was his third Sydney Marathon, but the first he had done in costume. He thought it would make the race “more exciting” by going for a world record.
“I was talking to my wife, and she didn’t think I had the body fit to be a model,” he said. “So I said, ‘you know what? I’ll prove you wrong. I reckon I could be an underwear model’.”
Underwear brand Tradie sent him two boxes of gear, and there was no going back. Initially, he trained as normal, but after visiting a physio they said he should practice getting used to the weight.
“About three weeks out, I started adding a few extra pairs to my training,” he said. “Then I found out that wasn’t going to be as easy as I thought … it was about five kilos of extra weight and it was all around the hips.
“The elastic from the undies just kept pulling and pulling. So it was rather painful. I’m open to ideas for next year, but I definitely won’t be going for underwear again.”
A 41-year-old Japanese pharmaceutical employee, Masakazu Konno, completed the fastest marathon dressed as a Star Wars character, crossing the line in 03:03:20. This wasn’t his first rodeo – he also holds the world record for fastest marathon dressed as a ninja and the fastest marathon wearing a suit and dress shoes.
World records were also broken for the fastest marathon in a school uniform, dressed as a mechanic, as a glass, and in a light military uniform.
Melissa Huston won a certificate for the fastest marathon dressed in a traditional Chinese cheongsam with a time of 03:51:27.
Bondi Rescue star Andrew Reid broke the record for the fastest marathon dressed as a surfer (03:17:37), complete with thongs and a surfboard, while 21-year-olds Emily and Isabella Chen ran the fastest marathon by a set of female twins, clocking in with a combined time of 07:37:02.
New South Wales GP Myint Mo Oo cinched a Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon dressed in traditional Burmese dress (04:12:19), complete with a Padauk flower, described on social media as a “Run for Myanmar” to draw global attention to the nation’s plight.
The youngest runners were 18 and the oldest, Nelson Rafael Lara Garcia, was 87. He finished in 06:46:56 – less than 10 minutes per kilometre.
Some 22 people taking part in the marathon were treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics on Sunday, for conditions including hyperthermia and leg injuries. Of those, 20 required further treatment in hospital.
To complete the 42km trek was an achievement in itself. Around nine hours into the event, as the last runners filtered through, they were greeted by Sam & Dave’s 1966 hit, Hold On, I’m Comin’, on the loudspeakers.
Caught up in the groove, one participant danced his way across the finish line to the delight of the crowd.
“Even after the longest of runs … one of our final finishers wrote their [finish] in joy, spirit and dance,” TCS Sydney Marathon wrote on social media. “The kind that lingers long after the race is done.”
