When life gives you lemons—or in this case, a newborn baby and a world record attempt—you make it work. Rhys Boorman, a dad from East Sussex, has just been officially crowned the fastest marathon runner dressed as a Morris dancer, and his story is as heartwarming as it is impressive.

Boorman, a member of the Hastings RX Morris team, crossed the finish line at the London Marathon on April 26th in an astonishing 2 hours, 42 minutes, and 51 seconds. That's more than an hour faster than the previous record, and he did it while wearing full Morris dancing regalia—complete with bells. But the road to this achievement was anything but straightforward.

You see, Guinness World Records requires runners to notify them of a record attempt by a specific deadline—in this case, February 13th. But Boorman had a very good reason for missing it: his wife Rhiannon gave birth to their second daughter, Eleri, on that very same day. "My attention was elsewhere," he admitted. "Eleri arrived two weeks late, so I missed the notification deadline."

Instead of giving up, Boorman appealed to the crowd. He asked spectators along the 26.2-mile course to snap photos and videos of him in action, providing proof that he had worn his full Morris kit from start to finish. The response was overwhelming. "I was able to show evidence from the start and finish lines, and from numerous points around the course," he said.

Now officially in the Guinness Book of World Records, Boorman says the moment was made even sweeter by having his family there to cheer him on. "I am proud to have broken the world record by so much and to have completed the course so quickly, especially as my wife Rhiannon, and both my children Gwendolyn and Eleri were watching me."

Whether you're a seasoned marathoner or just love a good underdog story, Boorman's tale is a reminder that with a little creativity—and a lot of support from the community—anything is possible. Now, who's ready to lace up their running shoes and chase their own record?