The world's biggest annual fundraising event continues to live up to its high profile with a number of records being broken by fun loving athletes, many of them raising funds for chosen charities.

Organisers have announced 29 new record-breaking entries in the Guinness Book of Records, including the fastest marathon dressed as a book character (Count Dracula) by David Stone.

Other record breaking efforts entering the Guinness book include the fastest marathon jester, fairy, Roman soldier, monk, insect, and nun...

Some of the most entertaining marathon runners were Billy and Tom Casserley, the fastest marathon in a two-person pantomime costume (panto horse) fundraising for Help the Hospices, and George and Charley Phillips the official Guinness World Record holders for the fastest marathon runners on stilts.

Sasha Kenney, a record breaker for the fastest marathon hula hooping raised over £2,000 for the NSPCC.

Other notable fundraisers were 11-year-old meningitis amputee Lydia Cross raising money for Help for Heroes and WheelPower. MP Ed Balls raised cash for Whizzkids and Action for Stammering Children...

In fact it was quite a day for celebrity spotting with Gordon Ramsay raising money for The Scottish Spina Bifida Association, Will Young raising money for Catch 22, Nell McAndrew supporting Cancer Research UK and Ivan Masso supporting the charity I CAN amongst numerous other celebrity runners.

Some of the other charities benefiting from fundraising efforts this year include WaterAid, Action for Children, Variety, RNIB, Asthma UK, WellChild and hundreds of others.

There is no comparable marathon event like the London marathon for charity fundraising. Since 1981 it has raised £557.8 million and that's not including this year's race which is expected to generate tens of millions more for UK and international charities...