Scarborough man to run London Marathon dressed as poppy
- Published
Mr Willis from Scarborough made the 5ft- wide costume himself
A father-of-three is to run the London Marathon dressed in a 5ft-wide poppy suit.
Owen Willis, 49, is attempting to gain the world record for the "fastest marathon dressed as a three-dimensional plant (male)".
Mr Wills, from Scarborough, North Yorkshire, must complete the 26.2-mile race in under five hours to beat the existing record.
He is raising money for armed forces charities.
He said he was inspired after running in a previous race.
Owen Willis is running to raise money for armed forces charities
"When I ran my second marathon in 2014, there were all the poppies at the Tower of London," he said.
"I had this idea that in four years time I would do something to commemorate the end of the First World War."
He spent weeks designing and making his poppy suit, which weighs almost half a stone (3kg) and comprises of 16 pieces that slot together.
Mr Willis is hoping to raise £5,000 for the Royal British Legion and SSAFA, the armed forces charity.