Tens of thousands of runners are preparing to participate in the London Marathon.
There will also be plenty from across the country at Sunday’s London Landmarks Half Marathon.
While many athletes take part in standard running gear, there are those who choose to tackle the 26.2-mile (42.2km) course in weird and wacky fancy dress.
While it adds spectacle, humour and joy, running with the extra layers or awkward clothing items presents its own challenges.
The Polar Bear’s Tale
Alex Morris said running the London Marathon while dressed as a polar bear was the hardest experience of his life.
Morris had not run a marathon since his early 20s but decided to take part in aid of mental health charity Mind.
The 36-year-old, from Shrewsbury, did more than 200 miles of training and became known as “the polar bear guy” in his hometown.
Morris found out how restrictive his outfit was and was forced to adapt his running style due to how difficult it was to move his legs freely.
His biggest adversary on the day was the heat, made worse by the onesie, which led to him losing about 2kg of weight.
His marathon became a “constant battle” of putting one foot in front of the other and despite a few “frank conversations” with ambulance staff, he managed to complete the course in just over five hours.
Morris praised the “amazing” atmosphere and support, adding: “It was an extremely hard but rewarding day.
“Looking back, almost a year to the day, I can’t believe I managed to do it.”
Running for a Cause
Army veteran Sally Orange, 52, is no stranger to running the event dressed up – she has done it 14 times, mainly fundraising for mental health charities.
She holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon dressed as a nut and has previously held the records for fastest as a superhero and a fruit.
After she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she finished the race wearing a giant breast in 2025 and will be doing the same this year in aid of Breast Cancer Now, despite recently going through treatment.
“When people ask me what time I’m going for, I always say I’m going for the time of my life,” she said.
“The costume enforces that within me because it shows I’m not particularly going for a fastest time.
“That’s why I love it, it’s almost reframing the reason for why I’m doing it – to have fun and make other people smile.”
Orange, who grew up in Stafford and now lives in Salisbury, said the other runners would often support those wearing costumes and she loved see