ANDERSON — Five runners with Anderson University ties have unofficially smashed a Guinness World Record, proving that teamwork—and a little creativity—can go a long way.
Zach Burton, Kaid Hutchinson, David Lane, Ian Leatherman, and David Stansbury set a blistering pace in the "Fastest Half Marathon in a Five-Person Costume" category at the IU Health 500 Festival Mini Marathon. The team covered the 13.1-mile course in just 1 hour, 25 minutes, and 50 seconds—beating the previous record by over 23 minutes.
"It feels great," said Burton. "The Indy Mini was a great venue, and the course energy was unmatched."
The quintet is now awaiting official certification from Guinness World Records, but the achievement already has the running community buzzing. Four of the five are Anderson University alumni, while Stansbury will graduate this weekend. He stepped in as a last-minute replacement for the injured Kaleb Gucinski. Lane also filled in for Zachary Davenport.
"Two of the other members I competed with at Anderson University. They offered the opportunity," Stansbury shared. "I thought this would be a really cool first step into post-collegiate running opportunities."
This isn't the group's first brush with world records. In September, Burton, Hutchinson, Davenport, and Leatherman set the record for the "Fastest Half Marathon in a Four-Person Costume" at the Geist Mini Marathon, finishing in 1:29:16.
"We thought it would be fun to do it one more time," Burton explained. "The Indy Mini being one of the biggest half marathons in the world, certainly one of the most prestigious in the United States, seemed like the perfect backdrop."
Burton described the Geist record as "anti-climactic," noting the excitement was dampened by the lengthy verification process. "You do it, but then you have to send in the proof to find out you did it three months later," he said. "Dressing in the costume and running is funny. It was a good time."
He hopes the Indy Mini attempt will deliver a more immediate thrill, especially as it coincided with the 50th annual Indianapolis run, founded in 1977.
The team's journey is being documented by Anderson University film professor Jack Lugar, who is turning their story into a documentary. The project has been labor-intensive—Lugar once woke up at 5:30 a.m. to film a training run. Race day footage was captured using 360-degree cameras attached to the runners and camera operators stationed along the route. Lugar hopes to have the documentary finished by fall, with a screening planned at the university.
As for celebrations? Burton says the group is keeping it low-key. "We hope to get some much-needed sleep," he laughed.