Man breaks knitting record while running London Marathon

Fannon holds up his scarf at the finish line, helped by BBC presenter Matt Graveling [BBC]

The last thing anyone competing in the London Marathon wants is to get a stitch as soon as they start running.

But for Simon Fannon, from Ashford, the aim was to get as many stitches as possible when he took part in the iconic event on Sunday.

And the 43-year-old achieved just that, successfully breaking the current world record for knitting the longest scarf while competing in the 26.2-mile race.

Speaking at the finish line, the former Royal Marine said he wanted to do something "bonkers" to raise money for the charities close to his heart.

Fannon, who goes by the name Veteran Knitter on social media, needed to create a scarf of more than 3.7m (12.1ft) to break the current record, but ended up with a winning woollen garment measuring 5.59m (18.3ft)

He also completed the course in under the specified six hours, finishing in five hours, 48 minutes and eight seconds - efforts which saw him awarded with a certificate from Guinness World Records.

"I love knitting and wondered to my wife if there might be some sort of related world record I could have a go at," said Fannon.

"So she looked online and saw there was one for running a marathon and simultaneously knitting a scarf.

"It struck me as a bonkers way to get seen and shed light on the good causes I support," added Fannon, who ran on behalf of the Huntington's Disease Association and Reorg, which works with veterans, military and emergency services personnel impacted by the physical and psychological stress of their jobs.