From The Maritime Galleries: A Certified Lunatic

By Londonist Last edited 166 months ago
From The Maritime Galleries: A Certified Lunatic

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Lloyd Scott, suited up, post marathon
In the third of four posts on our Museum of the Month - The Maritime Galleries - we marvel at the madness of Lloyd Scott.

In amongst the curiosities of the Oceans of Discovery gallery, alongside the Newt Suit - a 'submarine you can wear' - and Deep Work - a one-person submarine that can plummet to 606 meters - you’ll find an old school diving suit. Not that interesting in itself perhaps, but this one has a London Marathon number stuck on it; that’s because Lloyd Scott, certified lunatic, ground out all 26 miles and 385 yards in it.

We are quite comfortable dishing out a clinical diagnosis of lunacy, and so will you be once you’ve seen this suit. It is ludicrous, all 130lbs of it, including the 40lb copper helmet and a pair of out-sized boots … made of lead. Literally. He wore one pair out en route and had to get hold of replacements.

It took him five days, eight hours and 30 minutes, covering 400 yards every 20 minutes, setting a a new record for the slowest marathon ever.

All this effort wasn’t for nothing - he raised a stonking £100,000 for children with cancer. He is amazing and he’s still raising money, now for the Children’s Trust here.

Last Updated 20 May 2010