A breast surgeon from Cowbridge, South Glamorgan, is attempting to break a Guinness World Record at the Principality Cardiff Half Marathon to show her twin daughters that they can do anything.
Zoe Barber, who works at Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (CTMUHB), will be dressing as a princess in her attempt to be the fastest female to run a half marathon dressed as a cartoon character.
The current record stands at 1:53:26.
The 38-year-old said: “I used to be a really keen runner before I had my girls and ran the Cardiff Half in 2017. I loved the atmosphere and knew I wanted to run it again one day.
“I started doing a bit of running with the girls in their running buggy as it was the only way to get them to sleep for a while.
“Then during the Cardiff Half race weekend in 2023, I felt really inspired and wanted to enter again. I love the mental and physical health benefits and wanted to give myself a reason to run.”
After an extra challenge, Zoe also started looking into Guinness World Records.
She said: “I knew I wasn’t going to run as quickly as I had done before having the twins, so started looking at other ways to motivate myself. That’s when I came across the record for fastest female dressed as a cartoon character and thought ‘I could do that’.
“I was talking to the children about it, who are obsessed with princesses and dressing up, and said to them ‘Mummy’s going to be running a race, should I be a princess?’ But I was shocked when they told me ‘No mummy, princesses don’t run’. It made me really sad that they were only four and already thought that.
“I knew that I had to do it for them, and other little girls like them. To show them that you can be a princess and you can run, and that princesses can do anything.”
Zoe said she will be dressing up as Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Asmaa Al-Allak, who won the Great British Sewing Bee this year, will be making her costume. Once it’s made, Zoe will then spend the summer training in it to work out any areas that rub and get a feel for how hot it will be.
She said: “Asmaa is also a consultant breast surgeon and works in the breast cancer clinic with me. She’s a fantastic colleague and friend and this is such a lovely way we can work together to help others.”
But her world record attempt isn’t Zoe’s only reason for running as she also wants to fundraise for the newly opened Snowdrop Breast Centre.
The Snowdrop Breast Centre is a state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment centre for breast cancer care.
While it was jointly funded by the CTMUHB and Welsh Government, its interiors and artwork are enhanced through funding from charitable donations.
Zoe said: “Metastatic secondary breast cancer is the biggest killer of women under 50 in the UK, but no one really funds it and supports it, so it’s nice to be able to do this and give back.
“It’s horrendous and terrifying coming to a breast cancer clinic, so we want to make sure the centre is a calm, supportive and welcoming environment rather than a clinical area.”
She’ll be jointly fundraising for Met Up UK, a dedicated charity set up for those who have incurable secondary breast cancer.
Zoe added: “Met Up UK is the most amazing charity for people who have incurable secondary breast cancer. They advocate, fund research and fund inequalities in care as, at the moment, it’s a bit of a postcode lottery about what treatment you get.
“Most people who know me, know I run so wouldn’t just sponsor me, but with these extra motivations and knowing how it will help those with breast cancer, I’m hoping people will get behind my fundraising.”
There have been several record-breaking attempts at the Principality Cardiff Half Marathon in the past.
In 2017 there was Sir Runalot, aka Tudor Jones, who ran the half in a full suit of armour weighing 30kg and finished the course in 3:26:10.
Fireman Robert Atkin set a record for running carrying 20lb kit and finishing in 1:29:55 and Alec Care was another 2017 record breaker, running in his cap and gown in 1:31:58.
In 2023 Aled Hopkins attempted the world record for the fastest person running a half marathon in full fencing gear, and while sadly he didn’t break it, he’ll be back again in 2024 to try again.
Matt Newman, Chief Executive at event organisers, Run 4 Wales, said: “The Principality Cardiff Half Marathon is the perfect race to try and set some records and it certainly adds to the excitement of the day.
“We’ve had people dressed in such a variety of things from a monk to suits of armour and wish Zoe the best of luck in her world record attempt, which will inspire so many children, and adults, alike.”
Sponsor Zoe visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/zoebarber2024
