A WALKERBURN athlete is hoping to run his way into the record books by completing the London Marathon dressed as Mr Potato Head.

Gala Harrier Bob Johnson is aiming to secure a place in the Guinness Book of Records by clocking the fastest time run by a person in a 3D shape.

And he is also raising money for The Children’s Trust in the process – a charity which helps children and young people with brain injuries.

Bob, who is an engineer, has worked tirelessly over the past few months to create the large papier-mache Mr Potato Head costume in which he will run the 26-mile course in on Sunday.

He told us: “So far I have spent around 60 hours making the costume and still have finishing touches to add to it such as the harness which will support the frame as I run.

“It weighs about 16lbs in total and is made almost entirely out of papier-mache. To break the Guinness World Record, I’ll have to run the marathon as the three-dimensional Mr Potato Head in under five hours.

“I’m also hoping to raise as much money as I can for The Children’s Trust which helps and supports youngsters with a brain injury.”

And Bob is no stranger to record-breaking marathon runs – dressed as an ostrich, he broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon run by a three-dimensional bird in 2015. 

He also raised more than £10,000 in 2006 after completing the marathon dressed in a 7ft Dalek costume, weighing a hefty 15 kilos.

Bob unveiled his impressive costume on Saturday at a special fundraising coffee morning hosted by fellow Gala Harriers Colin and Sara Green.

A total of £75 has already been raised and Bob is hoping to raise as much money as he can for the cause.

If you would like to make a donation and help the charity make a difference to the lives of children with brain injury, please visit’s Bob’s fundraising page at: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/potato-head.