Monk left mad as course falls short
But fastest ‘ holyman’ on planet vows to return
A fleet- footed monk has been left hot under the collar after his Guinness World Record was scrapped.
Electrical engineer Ian Young, 40, became a furious friar when told the Great Scottish Run was 149.7 metres short of the 13.1 mile half marathon distance.
Ian had already suspected the Glasgow course was not long enough when he ran it in October because of the reading on his tracking device.
Bungling organisers finally admitted last week they’d got it wrong - which ended Ian’s short reign as the fastest monk over a half marathon.
At home in Prestwick, Ian admitted: “I am totally gutted that my record has been taken away.
“Guinness gave me a target limit of 1 hour 35 minutes and I didn’t think I was going to make it.
“My time was 1: 34: 22 so I’d just scraped over the line.”
Two friends from his running club Ayr Seaforth verified his time and that he’d sprinted all the way round in his monk’s garb and Guinness confirmed the record.
But Ian added: “I was absolutely thrilled with my new achievement, but looking back, the end seemed to be too quick and my watch device came up as 13.05 miles.”
He has completed the London Marathon several times and first donned the traditional brown monk’s robe and Friar Tuck- style hairdo two years ago.
Ian took up running in 2005 and used to be the fastest book character on earth when he dresssed as Sherlock Holmes, though that record has now been eclipsed.
However, he still holds the title for the fastest full marathon monk when he ran the London event in 2015 in a time of 3 hours and 27 minutes.
Ian, tennis loving twins Mark and Jamie, 12, and wife Fiona - who runs Fiona Young Zumba - all love to keep fit.
He is planning a re- run at the Alloa half marathon on April 2.
And he joked: “The monk might be mad at the moment, but he’ll be back in high spirits giving it another go.”
I was absolutely thrilled with my new achievement, but looking back, the end seemed to be too quick ...
Ian Young