A six-day ordeal for Lloyd Scott

Edinburgh: A British man weighed down by a rubber diving suit broke the world record for the slowest-ever marathon run, flopping across the finish line after more than six days.

Lloyd Scott, who overcame leukemia and a bone marrow transplant in the late 1980s, ran the course to raise money for a charity that works with children suffering from the deadly illness.

The 41-year-old former firefighter from London finished his ordeal in the Scottish city in six days, four hours, 30 minutes and 56 seconds, having already completed marathons in New York and London in around five days each.

He took a day longer for the Scottish race over 42km because he was suffering from a minor case of food poisoning, forcing him to lumber to the bathroom more frequently.

“I had to keep dashing to the loo and on the royal yacht Britannia (which was anchored in Edinburgh along the race course). There was a problem trying to get the suit off in time to get to the toilet,” he said.

“I’m feeling ok. It was a fantastic finish at the stadium, everyone was on their feet clapping and we had a piper. It was a wonderful reception,” an ebullient but visibly weary Scott said.

“Now I’m having a drum of whisky to celebrate,” he said, adding he was looking forward to not slipping into the 60-kilo heavy diving suit for the seventh day running.

The hardy Briton has raised more than £ 1 million since 1992 in various races, climbing to the top of mount Kilimanjaro in east Africa in the rubber suit, for example.

His next stop will actually take him underwater. Later this year he plans to walk the entire length of Loch Ness.