Sports and Tradition, terms notably correlated with culture. And one Malaysian man celebrated his roots by wearing a traditional attire while beating his own record in the TCS London Marathon 2023, and he gained a Guinness World record!
Wearing a Baju Melayu designed by Malaysian boutique Bulan Bintang, Edan Syah ran for 42.2KM in just 2 hours, 49 minutes, and 22 seconds, which is another record-breaking attempt from a previous achievement he also holds.
Baju Melayu is a male traditional Malay costume historically worn as an everyday outfit, now commonly worn during specific religious and cultural events such as weddings, family gatherings and Hari Raya.
And while many celebrate this year’s Hari Raya in their Baju Melayu at home or at mosques, Edan Syah accepted the challenge and made history wearing it by achieving the Guinness World Record Holder for the Fastest Full Marathon (42.2km / 26.2 miles) in Traditional Malay Dress (Male).
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“Alhamdulillah, mission accomplished. We achieved the mission below three hours; as the Guinness World Record Holder: The Fastest Full Marathon (42.2km) in Traditional Malay Dress (male) with a time of 2:49.22 seconds,” he posted in his instagram account as he thanked his supporters.
According to the Guinness World Records, the Malaysian runner is also the title holder of another world record – World’s Fastest Marathon Runner dressed in the National Flag Costume with a time of 2 hours 54 minutes during the Blackmores Festival Run in Sydney, Australia in 2019.
What a spectacular feat for an athlete – to break a world record and celebrate culture and tradition all at once. Truly, a nation’s pride!
Do you know any World Record Breakers from your country? Let us know in the comments section below!