A Hayes man will run this year's Virgin London Marathon in an over-sized crocodile costume to raise money for Revitalise.
Pardip Singh Minhas, 47, will also complete the Hillingdon Half Marathon in the ferocious costume while pushing his son's pram.
The Ealing Eagles runner, of Pinkwell Avenue, completed last year's Hillingdon race while pushing his son's buggy and intended to complete the London Marathon in the same manner before organiser's told him it was against health and safety regulations.
Mr Minhas said: “Completing the Hillingdon half with my son was great fun and attracted a lot of publicity, so initially we planned to do the same again for the London Marathon.
“Unfortunately the organisers told me this wouldn't be possible, so I thought I'd better find another way that I could make it interesting while still raising money for a great cause.
“I spent a full day scrolling through costumes online to find the perfect one and I knew the moment I laid eyes on the crocodile suit it was the one for me!
“To complete a marathon in running shorts and a vest is hard enough, but I wanted to make it interesting and a real challenge.”
SEE ALSO:IT worker to take on Hillingdon Half dressed as Peter Pan
A few strange looks
This will be Mr Minhas' 11th London Marathon and will mark a special weekend as he celebrates his seventh wedding anniversary the day before the race.
Most people are nursing a sore head the day after their wedding but not Mr Minhas. After getting married on April 25 2009, the running enthusiast got out of bed the very next morning to complete the 26.2-mile course.
He said: “The London Marathon will always hold fond memories for me. I remember the day after my wedding very well.
“I must have shown half the people running the race my wedding ring, even the police if they would listen to me!”
Impressively Mr Minhas is aiming to finish in under four and a half hours despite the weight of his costume.
He added: “I completed 20 miles in three hours 14 minutes the other day in my normal running gear, so I'm on track for a pretty good time.
“I need to do a few practice runs in the costume before the big day, although I may get a few very strange looks running the streets in a crocodile costume!
“I'll be using the Hillingdon Half as a test run, so hopefully that will give me a good idea of what time to aim for.”
Mr Minhas is running to raise money for Revitalise charity, which offers essential respite care breaks for people with profound disabilities and their carers, providing much needed relief for those who struggle with significant daily challenges.
If you want to sponsor Mr Minhas you can do so through his JustGiving page , or simply text PSMR68 and the amount to 70070.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE LONDON MARATHON
SEE ALSO:Hanworth woman aims to break marathon record in heart costume
