RUNNING 26.2miles around London after months of training is challenge enough for most. But for some, a marathon just wouldn't be a marathon if it wasn't completed it on a pogo stick, or dressed as a gingerbread man.

For everyone taking part tomorrow, here are some of the oddest and most impressive efforts which made it into the Guinness Book of Records.

1. Martin Hulbert smashed the record for the fastest marathon dressed as a fairy at the 2012 London Marathon, on April 22. He completed the course in a magical two hours, 49 minutes and 44 seconds.

2. Opting for a better view of London, George and Charley Phillips took on the 2012 London Marathon on stilts and broke a record in the process. They finished in an impressive six hours, 50 minutes and two seconds.

4. Edward Lumley was wearing his carrot costume when he completed the 2012 London Marathon in a healthy two hours 59 minutes and 33 seconds, smashing the record for fastest marathon dressed as a vegetable. 

5. The fastest marathon completed on a pogo stick took 16 hours and 24 minutes. The record was set by Jack Sexty at the Manchester Marathon in April 2014.

6. One runner ditched his trainers to break the record for fastest marathon run in bare feet. Abebe Bikila completed his bare-foot race at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome in just two hours 15 minutes and 16.2 seconds.

7. While most runners go it alone, the Kapral family from America made marathon-running a family affair. The 16 brothers and sisters - Chris, Vince, Steve, Tony, Joe, Doug, Angela, Allison, Theresa, Phil, Michelle, Mary, Nick, Mike, David and Sarah - broke the record for the most siblings to compete in the same marathon, at the Community First Fox City Marathon, Wisconsin, in 2009. Aged 18 to 44, their times ranged from three hours, nine minutes and 51 seconds to five hours, 31 minutes and 49 seconds.

8. The record for the fastest marathon dressed as a zombie is held by Sean McShane from Ireland, who completed the 2013 Dublin City Marathon in a scarily good three hours, 18 minutes and 38 seconds. 

9. American Jerry Knox did some impressive multi-tasking by completing the fastest marathon dribbling two basketballs at last year's London Marathon. He made it round in four hours, 10 minutes and 44 seconds.

10. UK-based David Smith can be justly proud of his record for the fastest half-marathon dressed as a whoopee cushion. He breezed round last year's Mablethorpe Marathon in one hour, 34 minutes and 10 seconds.

11. A gingerbread man pipped many runners to the finish line in the 2011 London Marathon. David Smith broke the record for fastest gingerbread man when he finished in three hours, 42 minutes and 20 seconds.

12. Ian Sharman, from the UK, broke the record for fastest marathon dressed as Elvis at the Seattle Marathon in 2009. He smashed the course in two hours, 42 minutes and 52 seconds without a swivelling hip in sight, retaining his fastest-Elvis title from 2008.

And for some more serious records...

  • The record for the fastest marathon (female) is held by Paula Radcliffe. She completed the 2003 London Marathon in an incredible two hours, 15 minutes and two seconds.
  • The male record-holder is Dennis Kipruto Kimetto of Kenya, who ran the 2014 Berlin Marathon in an inspiring two hours, two minutes and 57 seconds.