Costume Records

Hey, Happy Halloween! This is a big day for eating lots of sugar and getting really, really scared. More than anything, though, Halloween is a chance to dress in costume and have fun with your friends. However, for some runners, wearing costumes—Halloween or not—is serious business.

Take Michael Wardian for example. He has a couple of marathon costume records. Or there’s Ian Sharman, who's held nine costume records over the years. Or, what about Chris Estwanik, who holds the record for the fastest half marathon run in a business suit.

So, why do they do it? That’s precisely what we asked.

Michael Wardian

Michael Wardian, 43, of Arlington, VA, a HOKA shoes-sponsored endurance athlete, says he decided to race in costume because he wanted to see if he could. He says, “I also wanted to see how much harder it was than normal running. I thought it would be super fun and a good laugh … and it was.”

If you know much about Wardian’s running history and style, this makes sense. He is arguably the most versatile—and energetic—runner in the world. He can run a fast 5K the day after finishing a 100-miler. He can run marathons back-to-back, and he is known to multiple races with little sleep and following transatlantic flights. To run in a costume and break records while doing it is just another kind challenge.

“I decided to go for a few costume records after seeing some media stories and knowing some friends that had set them,” he says. “I thought, wow, that’s cool. I bet I can beat them and run a little faster.”

So, he put on a Spider-Man suit and clocked a 2:34 marathon. That broke the fastest-marathon-in-a-Spider-Man-suit record by six minutes. Not bad. So, he went for Elvis at the Rock n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon last year—fitting because hundreds of people dress up as Elvis and run the race every year. He ran a 2:38:04 and not only bested the previous world record but also won the marathon outright.

While you might think this would be enough to hang up his costume wardrobe, for Wardian, two records mean he now has his sights set on even more. He plans to go after marathon records for the fastest movie character, the fastest video game character, the fastest piece of fruit, the fastest vegetable, the fastest marathon while wearing a suit, and more.

Follow Wardian’s adventures on Instagram.

Chris Estwanik

Chris Estwanik, 36, is a former Nike professional distance runner who lives in Bermuda. For him, a costume record was, eh, somewhat random.

In 2016, he had his sights set on representing Bermuda in the Olympic Marathon. Then, an injury a few weeks before the London Marathon—where he had an easy chance to qualify—quickly stomped out the possibility. A major low ensued. The business-suit record was merely a challenge thrown to him by a few good friends in an effort to lift him from depression.

“I'm the type of person that likes a good challenge and maybe even more so hate to be told that I can't do something, so it was pretty easy for them to wind me up,” says Estwanik. “Plus they sweetened the deal by throwing in a free drink. … And for anyone reading this that has been to Bermuda knows, we like our drinks over here in the middle of the ocean.”

The bet was on.

He flew to New York for the United Airlines NYC Half, a race that suited his endeavor perfectly—it ended on Wall Street. He wore the most flexible suit he could find, but flexibility aside, a sweat-soaked business suit was still heavy and hard to run in.

He finished the race in a fast 1:11:34, almost seven minutes faster than the previous mark.

Unlike Wardian, Estwanik does not have plans to run as a vegetable, a piece of fruit, or even Elvis. However, we feel that with the right bet—and drink—he might change his mind.

Ian Sharman

Ian Sharman, 37, of Bend, Oregon, is a four-time Leadville 100-mile winner and the current North American record holder for the fastest 100 miles ever run on trails (he did it in a staggering 12 hours 44 minutes). He’s also the head coach at Sharman Ultra and an avid costumer-record chaser; at one point or another, he has held nine costume records. His costume journey started with a prize purse.

It was 2007, and the London Marathon was offering £1000 to the fastest running Elvis. At the time, Sharman says he was running about 30 marathons a year, so he thought, why not?

He dressed up as Elvis, ran the race, and won. “I won the cash and loved the extra support from the crowd,” he says. He decided to do it again. “It’s genuinely fun and not much harder than running without the extra clothing.”

So, in 2009, he went after the world record for the fastest marathon in an Elvis costume at the Seattle Marathon. He did it, crossing the line in 2:42:52. He would hold that record for nearly 10 years, until Wardian’s Las Vegas performance, which Sharman is “aiming to take back” in 2018 in addition to an even bigger costume goal. He says, “I’m going to race a 100-miler as Elvis in December at Brazos Bend in Texas.”

Like Wardian, his costume goals stretch far into the future … he just hasn’t decided which new costumes to choose yet. Will Sharman dress as a piece of fruit? Only time will tell.

Follow Sharman's adventures on Instagram.