Oxford History graduate Archie Johnston and his family have attempted to break the Guinness World Record for “fastest half marathon by a mother and three children” at the Worcester Half Marathon. Johnston, his mother and two brothers ran the race on September 13th in memory of Johnston’s father, Rob, who died ten years ago.
The previous record was set by a Swansea family in 2024, with a combined time of 8 hours and 8 minutes.
The Johnstons’ combined time of 6 hours and 27 minutes beats the previous record by more than an hour and a half, subject to Guinness World Records verification.
Johnston told Cherwell that running has always been a family pastime. Rob was a keen runner, completing nine marathons across four countries during his life. Yet the training for the Worcester half marathon was especially difficult in the summer heat.
“The grief that comes with losing a parent is unspeakable, but our record attempt is a testament to the way it has drawn us together,” Johnston told Cherwell. “This race is a celebration of my dad’s memory and an effort to further the values he inspired in us.”
The Johnstons set up a JustGiving page on 22nd July to raise money for Medical Aid for Palestinians. The charity provides critical health and humanitarian support to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, working with local partners to provide access to essential health services and build local knowledge. The family hoped to raise £5,000 – £100 for every year of Rob’s life – but have already raised more than £10,000.
After the race, Johnston told Cherwell: “The run was tough, as expected, but having the fire of what we were running for made it all the easier. I’m enormously proud of the four of us, and especially my younger brothers, who were racing across this distance for the first time.”
