Man to make marathon record bid dressed as poo

Tom Hall is hoping to set a new Guinness World Record

A man will be running the London Marathon dressed as a giant poo emoji in a bid to set a world record and raise money for charity.

Tom Hall, from Newchapel near Kidsgrove, Staffordshire, will don the costume when he undertakes the 26-mile feat in April.

The 29-year-old, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2013, is hoping to raise money for Crohn’s and Colitis UK.

He has also set himself a target of becoming the man to finish a marathon quickest while dressed as an emoji.

Mr Hall said his choice of attire was the most relevant to the cause he would be representing.

“It will be fun, I think it will be a good laugh," he predicted. "I’ve always run a bit as a hobby but nothing like this."

Mr Hall will be one of thousands of people entering the London Marathon

Mr Hall was diagnosed after suffering with a lot of pain when he was eating and in the first couple of years his weight dropped as low as nine stone.

He had surgery in 2016 to remove part of his bowel, which he said helped to make the symptoms more manageable.

The keen runner has taken on half-marathons before but had always wanted to have a go at the London Marathon.

He said he chose to raise money for Crohn’s and Colitis UK due to the impact the disease had on his life, setting a fundraising target of £2,500.

He added he wanted to make people more aware of the condition, saying: “If you spoke to people about it five or 10 years ago, they probably wouldn’t have known what it was.

“But everybody is so much more aware of it now. Everyone seems to know someone who has Crohn’s or colitis.”

'Will be amazing'

To set the Guinness World Record, he would need to complete the event in three hours and 40 minutes.

In preparation, Mr Hall began a 16-week training plan on New Year’s Day, which consists of five runs a week.

“It will be amazing, I’m really looking forward to it," he said.

"I’m not really nervous about it but that might change on the day."