Application submitted

Last week I was leaning towards submitting a GWR application for fastest marathon dressed in a soccer kit. In the end, that's precisely what I applied for a few days ago. Why? Very practical reasons: 

1) Given my travel plans for nearly 2 weeks in advance of the marathon, I have to have the outfit with me the whole time. Anything that required a structure that would have surrounded me would have been untenable. 

2) Running in a full Quidditch kit, as cool as it may seem, requires using BOTH hands for the outfit: one to hold the broom (or PVC pipe) between your legs for the entire time, and one to hold a slightly deflated volleyball or soccer ball (I suppose it's a quaffle). This means that I would have to stop any time I want to eat one of my shot bloks or take a drink. I'll be stopping enough if I have to do the documentation myself. 

3) The outfit should be pretty straightforward. I may need to wear knee and or shin guards, but that shouldn't be so bad (we'll see with training runs), and only one hand is occupied (since it looks like I would need to carry a soccer ball the whole time). Once Guinness approves the application, I'll find out what the actual specific are, rather than merely infer it from a blog post from the current record holder.

4) The time is TOTALLY attainable, even when padding my actual running time by several minutes to account for getting a photo taken of me at every mile marker (which appears to be one of the required documentation rules).

Now all I have to do is wait up to 12 weeks to get the approval to proceed and the specific guidelines. I'm hoping it's just a jersey of a professional soccer/football team, shorts, and a soccer ball, with no requirement for shin or knee guards (possible chafing risk!) and no requirement to run in cleats (not something I would want to do on the road for 26.2 miles).

And even if it turns out that the requirements are such that I don't want to do the record, I'll still enjoy the run. There will be some great sights to be seen! And some of the "perks" will be great.