Runner surprises friend with world record months after duo ran marathon dressed as ice-cream

Alan Falle and Scott Welsh got the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon dressed as a sweet food (male).

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When Scott Welsh finished the Jersey marathon alongside his friend Alan Falle in October last year, he had no idea that he had made a world record. What made their 3 hour 48 minute 12 second run special was their costume. Instead of sports apparel, both dressed up in ice-cream costumes.

Welsh, who had run his first marathon, was surprised by the world record as Alan had secretly applied to the Guinness World Records for the title of “fastest marathon dressed as a sweet food (male)”.

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The two friends were running the 42-kilometre marathon to celebrate Alan’s recovery from anterior cruciate ligament rupture and their love for ice-creams.

Alan, a 32-year-old physical education teacher at Victoria College in Jersey, met Scott, a personal trainer, through football. They both played for rival teams but soon became friends. When Alan ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, Scott helped him through the recovery period.

Setting a world record without knowing you were attempting one is pretty amazing…https://t.co/mjgo6JEvpP

— Guinness World Records (@GWR) March 6, 2023

After Alan’s recovery, they explored various ice cream shops in Jersey. As the Jersey marathon approached, both friends agreed to run the marathon while being dressed as ice cream. Additionally, they also initiated a fundraiser and managed to raise £12,500 (approximately Rs 12 lakh) for a local charity.

While speaking to the Guinness World Records, Alan said, “We spent the best part of a Jersey summer travelling around the island, eating Jersey soft-serve ice creams. Hardly a chore! That’s where the outfit idea came from, but the marathon was just one run out of many in my challenge to run 2022 km (1256.4 mi) in 2022, raising funds and awareness for a local charity called the Grace Crocker Family Support Foundation, who provide emotional and financial support for Jersey families with children who require medical care off-island.”