In any marathon, you’re guaranteed to see runners attempt an assortment of funny and inspirational Guinness World Records–and the London Marathon in late April will be no different. According to BBC News, three-time British table tennis Paralympian David Wetherill, who made his marathon debut last year, will be making an official run at the record for fastest marathon on crutches.
“My hip is actually dangling out of its joint at the moment and I’m in pain whether I’m lying in bed or running marathons, so my philosophy is I may as well run a marathon,” Wetherill said.
With a 5:44:05 debut at the 2024 Barcelona Marathon, Wetherill beat the existing record by nearly 40 minutes–but it wasn’t an official attempt. At the Brighton Marathon in April 2024, one month later, that record was broken by 73-year-old Chris Terrill of the U.K., who ran 6:11:11.
At birth, Wetherill was diagnosed with multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, a genetic disorder affecting bone and cartilage development; he’s used crutches since he was 10. Since stepping back from table tennis after 2021, he has competed in countless races, triathlons and fitness challenges. The 35-year-old will be running in London to raise money for Type 1 diabetes.
“Growing up with a disability, inherently you have those times, and it’s not always easy,” he said. “I think that’s why I’m so addicted to now pushing myself. I’ve not just got off the sofa and decided to run a marathon–I’ve almost been training for this my whole life.”
Last month, Wetherill clocked 2:40:29 at the Liverpool half-marathon, just a few weeks after running a 10K personal best of 1:06. “Crutches make you go faster,” he captioned his Instagram post after the race. “New crutch 10k PB! 1:06! 32:30 5K split! Buzzing!”
The athlete has competed at numerous global competitions, making his Paralympic debut at Beijing 2008 at just 18. He went on to represent the U.K. at London 2012, where a clip of an impressive shot went viral, and Rio 2016. Wetherill was set to compete in his fourth Games in Tokyo, but was reportedly deselected from the team following a rule breach.
The London Marathon is set for April 27. More information can be found here.
