TWENTY FOUR-year-old Kilrush man Padraic O’Flynn, who is studying for a masters in occupational therapy in Edinburgh, will attempt to establish a bizarre yet noteworthy Guinness World Record on Sunday.

Padraic, who plays football for Kilrush Shamrocks, will be seeking to set a new world record for completing a marathon in a superhero costume, when he competes in the Edinburgh marathon. He will wear a Mr Incredible costume for the 26-mile, 385-yard trek around the Scottish capital.
Padraic will be competing in his second marathon, having posted an impressive time in his maiden run, despite limited training and not even being a member of an athletic club in Scotland.
“Last year I signed up to the Loch Ness marathon at the last minute and decided to run it for the laugh. I didn’t really know what to expect from the run and I came 23rd out of 3,000 runners in a time of two hours 52 minutes,” Padraic told The Clare Champion.
His preparation for what will be his second gruelling physical and mental test isn’t the most scientific. “I don’t run for a club and I don’t follow any training regimes. I just go out and run whenever I feel like it,” he explained.
Since competing in his first marathon, the Kilrush man has ran in a number of events.
“I came 14th out of over 2,000 runners in the Bupa Great Winter Run and 18th out of 3,000 in the Chris Hoy Edinburgh half-marathon. Unfortunately, I had been injured for seven weeks with a leg injury, prior to the Chris Hoy run but clocked a time of one hour 20 minutes quite comfortably,” Padraic said.
So what has possessed him to dress up and try to enter the Guinness World Records and beat the current best time of two hours, 43 minutes and 28 seconds?
“This world record attempt is inspired by the fact that I love challenges and adventures and my burning ambition is to be the world’s best at something. I also think it would be hilarious to run around Edinburgh in a superhero costume,” he laughed.
“I contacted Guinness World Records and they informed me of the criteria and I officially made the claim. Last week I bought the Mr Incredible costume. I am quietly confidant and decided there’s no harm in giving it a go. I have been training away for the last few weeks and I reckon I could just about do the time if I’m pushed to the limits. The nice flat course and support from crowd will also be a big help,” Padraic believes.
Approximately 20,000 runners are expected to take part in the marathon.