ALISTAIR RUTHERFORD

World’s fastest musical instrument

Alistair Rutherford is a musician studying at the Birmingham Conservatoire, but he has another string to his bow – he’s the world’s fastest musical instrument. Dressed in a giant viola suit, the 22-year- old ran the Birmingham International Marathon in 3:20:33, almost an hour faster than the previous record.

The money he raised is going to ARCO, a charity set up by the Birmingham Conservatoire to teach children in Soweto, South Africa, to play musical instruments.

Running 26.2 miles in his custommade viola was not without its difficulties. ‘ I’m 6ft 3ins, so I’m a tall runner anyway, but the headpiece made me about 10ft tall,’ says Alistair. A standing ovation, then, for the Running Viola.