A dedicated fundraiser ran into the record books this weekend as she completed the fastest marathon while dressed in a full-body animal costume.

Running in the Virgin London Marathon on Sunday (April 24) Gill Punt, 45, broke the Guinness World Record for the feat by completing the course in four hours and 21 minutes – nine minutes faster than the previous holder.

Mrs Punt, who lives and works at Chigwell School and is married to the head teacher, ran in a full polar bear outfit.

The bear is one of the mascots for charity Cancer Research UK, which Mrs Punt was running for.

Mrs Punt admitted it was a “bonkers” challenge, writing online: “Why would I want to put myself through the ordeal of running the London Marathon 2016 dressed as a polar bear?

“I can manage a couple of laps of the Chigwell School fields, but 26.2 miles across the capital is something completely different, even if it is a Guinness World Record attempt.”

She said that the added challenge of running in the costume and attempting to break the record gave a “massive boost” to her fundraising.

The development manager has helped organise several sponsored events for the charity after a number of people at the High Road school had cancer.

In 2013 pupil Grace Boxall died from brain cancer just five days before her 16th birthday and Andrew McKenzie, a housemaster and head of physics at the school, died in June 2014 after suffering from throat cancer.

Former head teacher David Gibbs also passed away earlier this year after fighting the disease.

Mrs Punt said: “In the Chigwell community a number of pupils, close friends and colleagues have experienced cancer and I wanted to do my bit to ensure that one day, others will not have to suffer as they have.”

Last October Mrs Punt organised more than 100 parents, staff and Old Chigwellians to run the Royal Parks half marathon, and the team raised £93,000 for the charity.

The grand total for the fundraising efforts has now reached £260,000.

To donate to the total for Mrs Punt’s record-breaking run, visit ow.ly/4n91v0.