Edmonton Marathon and Guinness World Record attempt

August 20, 2023

The idea of attempting the World Record for the Most T-shirts worn during a Marathon seemed like a long shot.  Most ‘close to home’ marathons are held during the summer months and summers in Alberta are hot.  I was very aware that completing this task in the heat posed a different type of challenge compared to the Half Marathon record I achieved in February. 

I told myself that after Sinister 7 in early July, I would start t-shirt training and see how things went.  I would have about 5 weeks to t-shirt train which was significantly less than how I trained for the half marathon record.  Thankfully, I would not have to wear 120 shirts for this record, but I had the idea of 70 in my head as I progressed through training. 

July 12, 4 days after Sinister 7 50km, I completed my first marathon t-shirt training run.  Six kilometers and about 30 shirts just to see what it felt like. Two weeks later I was at 40 shirts and a week after that 60.  I was thankful for being distance trained from Sinister 7, so all I had to worry about was adding shirts.

My hydration vest quickly became too small to wear and I knew that would not work on race day, so I switched to my handheld bottle.  Trouble is that it only holds about 300ml of water and that was only lasting about 5km on my training runs. 

Typically, in my training, I like long loops.  This was not going to work, and I was forced to find water sources along my runs, including looping back home.  I had a 10km loop with a vacant house at 5km with a faucet located outside of the yard.  My 15km loop had an apartment building with an exterior faucet at 4km and 11km, and I found a house with an exterior faucet around 6km.  Pairing these loops with returning home after each loop I was able to get my training up to 35km and 65 shirts about 12 days before the marathon.  In total I completed 8 t-shirt training runs over 4 weeks.  I experimented with a fanny pack, ice packs, and neck tubes filled with ice to keep my body temperature lower, there was even an instance where I stopped at a Circle K for a slurpee near the end of a long run.  Running with the weight and heat went from straight running to a walk break every 4km, to running more than walking every km.  Starting my runs by 0730hrs. still had me finishing around noon as temperatures began to increase more and more.  The race had one saving grace that I hoped would work in my favor.

The Edmonton Marathon has a 0700hrs start time on race day.  Marathoners must start the second half of the race by 1000hrs.  To make the race more inclusive for walkers and 6+ hour marathoners, there is a 0600hrs. start option.  I spoke with the race team and was granted the chance to start with this group even though I needed to be under 6 hours to be compliant with Guinness rules for this attempt.

Race Day

My alarm went off at 0415hrs.  I had a bowl of oatmeal and boost for breakfast.  I had put my shirts into a suitcase to transport them easily to the race site.  Road closures were already starting to go into effect at 0500hrs and my plan to park didn’t open until 0600hrs.  No big deal, alternative parking was found, still close to the race site, and I headed into the Edmonton Convention Center to get ready.  I managed to get myself dressed without too much help and headed up to the start line with 20 minutes to spare.  John Stanton, founder of the Running Room, was already announcing and made my presence known to anyone who was there for the early start. 

There were about 40 people who started with the 0600hrs. group.  I found myself at the front of the pack running with Julian Leal, 2 lead cyclists and 1 police motor bike. I found out that Julian was originally from Columbia and is a group leader at the 109st. running room.  Julian and I would spend the first 12km running side by side at close to 6:00/km pace.  I filled up my hand held at every aid station (every 3km), alternating between Gatorade and water.  My first actual walk break was during the largest hill on course.  I walked most of the hill and lost Julian.  Continuing to walk/run the next 9km, I started to see the front of the marathon runners going the other direction.  I could see Julian a few hundred meters ahead of me as I ran through the halfway point of the race by myself in 2 hours and 11 minutes.

Shortly after crossing the halfway mark of the race, my energy level took a dip.  I knew I had almost 4 hours to complete the next 21.1km and if I wanted to, I could walk the entire way.  It was getting warm out, but still manageable, and my body was feeling the weight of the shirts.  The streets were empty and quiet.  All of this added up to an energy suck.  This is a good reason why I had people placed along the second half of the course.  At 25km and 38km I would get to see Jason, Isaac, and Kristyn (founder and owner of 7 Summits Snacks).  7 Summits Snacks has been with me for all 3 Guinness Record attempts, and I knew they were going to have treats and ice for me.  Surprising to me, at 28km and 36km was my friend Marc and his entire family. At 30km and 34km I would get to see my kids, my mom and dad, my sister, and my brother-in-law.  More ice, some coconut water, and a quick stop to say hi to everyone.  By now, I was walking much more. 

I was 4 hours into the race, the streets were hot and exposed to the sun.  Maintaining a steady power walk, I took the opportunity at 35km to video call Jessie and her dad in Delaware.  It was great to update her and hear her words of encouragement as I entered my last hour.  The race finishes with a 13 block straight down Jasper Avenue in downtown Edmonton.  Racers can see the finish line teasing them from far away, and the slight uphill grade makes it feel that much longer.

I knew I was very close to the 5-hour mark for the race, but this wasn’t a race about time.  It was about getting through the finish line un under 6 hours to break a Guinness World Record.  I crossed the finish line in 5:01:50 and was met by my entire family, including kids being held back by security personnel.

The finish area was chaotic and loud, so we headed into the Edmonton Conference Center to complete the final count in a quiet space.  About 12 of us ended up in the volunteer break room and began peeling shirts.  My mom and good friend Denise stripped me down 78 layers while everyone else counted and took video.  Exhausted and dripping with sweat, we were done.  We returned to the finish area to cheer on the finishing athletes.         

Coach Dave.