WR | Mike Breaks World Record for Fastest Marathon Carrying 55lbs Pack
In April 2002, Mike broke his first world record by running the fastest marathon whilst carrying a 55lbs Bergan (Pack) on his back, in a time of 4hr 52mins 21secs, breaking the previous world record held by Paddy Doyle by 12mins.
Mike had raised over £3000 for his chosen charity The Royal British Legion and making it into the record books for the first of what would be many times more for this emerging Endurance Athlete. Based in London at the time and with a surge of press and media after Mike a major Athlete Management Company took Mike on securing sponsorships such as with Royal Caribbean International.
The record was broken at the 2002 London Marathon only months after Mike had got himself off the streets with the suport of the Royal British Legion after finding it difficult to adjust to Civilian Life after leaving the Army with a medical discharge back in 2000 after several medicals found Mikes hearing deteriating from an incident where Mike had been on Lisburn Bks in N. Ireland at the same time as two IRA car bombs were set off.
Mike was standing no more than 20ft from the first bomb that went off near the POL point, shielded by cover, Mike was lucky to walk away with his life as unfortunately 2 personnel were killed that day and 34 people injured.
Mike had found his calling, to go on to break more endurance records and take on some of the worlds toughest challenges such as the Marathon des Sables in the Sahara Desert and raising thousands for forces charities
For more details and interviews with Mike or to book him as an after dinner speaker, call: 07791 356 482 or email: activelifeuk@hotmail.com
Category: World Records, World Records Broken
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Some really quality posts on this internet site , saved to fav.
I think you should know that is record was for a 50 pound pack and was a speed march for Doyle .
Yes I do, I have studied Doyles records a lot and spoken and met him… I do not state this was an official world record, I was chip timed and I had my pack weighed at the beginning, I ran this 12mins faster than Paddy Doyle with very little training, having only just got myself off the streets where I had been for 6months struggling to adjust to civi life. But yet still ran faster whilst carrying 55lbs, 5 more than Paddy.
There was no GWR or any other record organisation to record this as I didnt contact them, I did this to see what I could do and after this I carried on to do a lot more and many official world records with serveral record organisations including Record Holders Republic who at the time were using Paddy to varify endurance records and Paddy personally verified mine.