MARATHON runners come in all shapes and guises and Urmston man Andrew Shenton is hoping for a "fairytale" ending to this year's London Marathon.

The 39-year-old plans to tackle the entire course dressed as an Elf in a bid to smash a Guinness World Record and raise funds for Oxfam.

Andrew, from Hereford Grove, said: "I am attempting to achieve the World Record of the fastest Elf to run a marathon. Guinness World Records have accepted my claim and I must complete the marathon in less than four hours in a full elf costume. There will be officials from Guinness World Records present at the marathon to assess whether my attempt is successful.

"I have always wanted to achieve a world record and I thought that the attempt would really enhance my marathon experience and help to raise some funds for my Oxfam.

" Last Christmas, I assisted Father Christmas as his helper at a local church fair and it seems that the suit has grown on me. I also thought it would be good to spread a bit of Christmas cheer – whatever the time of year – and hopefully I’ll make some people smile."

He jokes: "I heard that running was good for your elf."

Andrew, a veteran of five marathons, works as a billing analyst for Talk Talk in Irlam and said he's training five times a week in preparation for the gruelling event.

He said he's putting his best boot forward for Oxfam for a variety of reasons.

Andrew added: "I’ve long supported Oxfam and fully back their cause to tackle worldwide poverty and I know that they are always keen to respond to global emergencies."

But he does expect to get a little hot under the tunic when he tackles the 26 mile Marathon course.

It’ll be quite warm when running in the elf costume – especially with the hat and leggings - so I’m hoping for a cool day. Unfortunately, curly elf shoes aren’t very aerodynamic and I suspect I’ll continue to hear the jingling bells on my outfit long after the marathon has finished.

* Anyone interested in giving Andrew an elf-ing hand shoyld visit ustgiving.com/Andrew-Shenton