Every year the Altra Brighton Half Marathon brings out incredible runners, dedicated fundraisers, and occasionally… giant Slinkys. This year we caught up with two runners who took on the 13.1 miles dressed as the classic character from Toy Story — better known as Slinky Dog’s famous spring.
We asked them about the idea, the challenges, and what it’s really like running a half marathon in fancy dress!
Scroll down for the Q&A…
- First things first – why Slinky?
Why not!
I (Jasper – younger brother) ran the Brighton Half Marathon last year for Grassroots suicide prevention, and got invited to run for them again this year. I had such a great time last year, how could I say no!
This year, however, I wanted to run it with my brother (Sim – older brother). He’s done a lot longer races than a half-marathon (Including a marathon and half-ironman!), so he had the idea of making the run a bit more challenging, and floated the idea of running in a costume.
After a bit of brainstorming we settled on Slinky Dog. He’s a character that’s easily identifiable, funny, and most importantly, will bring a lot of attention! More attention, more donations. More donations, more people suffering with mental health are helped by Grassroots Suicide Prevention! So, we were set on Slinky from then on!
- How did you actually build the costume?
You’re going to have to ask our mum for that! She was the superhero craftswomen behind the costume. Making it from scratch just based off photos.
Without her, I’m not sure anyone would’ve even recognised what animal we were dressed as. She loves making clothes in her spare time, so she used that skill to sew a face for Slinky from brown and yellow felt. She then stuffed the snout with biodegradable (this was a mistake) packing peanuts, and stuffed the head with a massive inflatable beachball.
She then attached this to a harness that would go around the front runner (me). This harness was then also attached to a large aluminium tube that was originally an air-duct. This became the slinky, attaching directly to Sim’s harness.
Then on the back, she stuffed brown felt with two smaller beachballs to simulate a comically large bum, with a coiled aluminium wire in between the cheeks to act as a tail.
… although many people thought these were Slinky’s dangly bits.
- Did you train in the costume beforehand?
Nope. This was definitely a mistake on our part. We were worried about ruining it, as the weather leading up the half marathon wasn’t great. So instead, we just practiced running closely together in tandem. Rehearsing me the eyes for both of us, as in the costume the slinky covered Sim’s feet and view of the floor, so he wouldn’t be able to see any potholes (which we know Brighton has plenty of).
We did try the costume on a few times and ran on the spot in our living room, where we noticed how loud the slinky/metal tube was, and how bouncy the costume was.
After some minor adjustments and tightening of straps, we were confident the costume would be fine.
Or so we thought.
- Did you take on the fancy dress challenge for charity?
Yes, and no. We were running for Grassroots Suicide Prevention regardless. However, we wanted to raise as much money as possible and make the race a bit more challenging for ourselves. That’s what sparked the idea of running in a costume, as the fancy dress would draw more attention to our cause for running, and it would bring some laughs to race day. Making people smile and enjoy life just that little bit more is exactly what Grassroots Suicide Prevention stands for, so we’re glad were able to spread some joy.
- Is it true you were doing a Guinness World Record attempt – tell us more about that
Yes, it’s true! We had absolutely no intention at first to try and break a world record; the thought never even crossed our mind. However, around 5 weeks prior to race day, Sim saw that the Guinness World Record for ‘Fastest half marathon in a two-person costume (male)’ was a very doable 1hr 46min 42sec. Both of us have run sub 1:40 before, and so thought why not.
Initially, we were going to run at a leisurely pace, stopping to take pictures and just have a good time. However, seeing that the world record was actually in arms reach for us, we decided to go for it. It would be great for the Superville family lore.
This meant we had to train a lot more than we initially planned, but the idea of being world record holders motivated us to keep training. On the day of the race, it was freezing, windy and rainy, so we thought we had no chance of beating the world record. We shifted our mindset back to just having a fun run, however, after a few kilometres, we realised it was still doable, even in the horizontal rain.
We decided to push for it, and we are very proud to say we beat the world record, ending with a time of 1 hour, 44 minutes, and 25 seconds!
The race was the easy part though, as we’ve had to send over heaps of footage, witness statements, and photographic proof the record was properly carried out with us attached at all times. We’re yet to hear back, fingers crossed they accept it!
Either way, we’re world record holders in our eyes.
- What were the reactions like from the crowd?
The reactions were amazing!! We couldn’t have asked for a better supporting crowd. So many spectators loved the costume. We constantly got a “Go Slinky!” or an “Oh my god, it’s Slinky Dog!”. It was great, and each shout from a supporter gave us that little bit of an energy boost, which was definitely needed at some points of the race.
We honestly don’t think we would’ve beaten the record without the support we received. Over 1000 individuals cheered us throughout the race, whether it was a member of the crowd, other runners or race volunteers. The whole race we were greeted with smiles and laughs, and made it such an enjoyable run!
- What was the hardest moment and best moment during the race?
The hardest moment was definitely the start. It was so cold, so wet, and so windy.
While we were in the race line, waiting to start, we were both visibly shaking, teeth chattering, and in desperate need of a hot chocolate.
The first kilometre of the race is also the busiest, so we had to navigate a sea of runners and potholes. Made tougher by the fact that Sim couldn’t see where he was running, so I had to verbally warn him when there was a hazard. Once we got warmed up, and the crowd started to dilute, we slowly started to actually enjoy the run.
The best moment of the race, for me, was barking at spectators! They loved it. If we saw a child pointing at us as we ran up to them, we’d give them a big “WOOF, WOOF, WOOF”. Seeing a child giggle and laugh at our costume and barking, was amazing, and truly gave us an energy boost. Sim kept telling me to slow down after I would bark, due to me constantly running faster than our set pace. Whoops!
- Do you have any advice for anyone thinking of running in costume?
I would definitely suggest doing a few practice runs in it beforehand. That was a big mistake we made, and if we had practiced in it before, it would’ve been a much more comfortable run. I’d also suggest not using biodegradable packing peanuts as stuffing when doing a race in a city that is basically a large shower. The rain dissolved the stuffing, turning Slinky’s snout into what looked like a mushy banana.
Importantly, just enjoy every moment of the run! We’ve never felt such support when running before, it was honestly so heartwarming. So, if you’re going to run in costume, practice in it, know your environment, enjoy the moment, and please don’t break our record!! 😉
- And finally, will we see you back at the Brighton Half Marathon in 2027 – and if so, do you have another challenge or costume idea in mind?
It’s still up in the air right now. I’ll be running again, supporting my friend who wants to try and run their first half marathon. I think Sim is still recovering from the rain…
If you would like to join us for the 2027 Altra Brighton Half Marathon, secure your entry here
It’s Competition Time!
