A farmer from Caerphilly will be attempting to break a Guinness World Record at the 2026 ABP Newport Marathon Festival for being the fastest person to run a half marathon in a pair of wellies.
Neil Johnson, 47, will also be taking on the challenge to raise funds for the Farm Community Network(FCN) – a charity that supports farmers and families within the farming community going through difficult times.
The father-of-five said: “I’ve done a lot of running and taken part in marathons and half marathons for charity, but I’ve never attempted anything in costume. I was looking for my next challenge and as I’m a farmer, specifically those that involved wellington boots.
“I saw that there was a marathon record set for under 3 hours which would be a huge challenge to try in trainers – let alone in wellies, but then I saw the half marathon record set by a British woman in 1 hour 40 and I thought maybe I could have a go at that.”
Neil applied for the challenge with the GWR and when he got accepted to undertake it, he decided he’d do it for charity.
He said: “As a farmer I spend several hours a day in wellies – even more so in winter as I try not to use vehicles as I don’t want to make a mess of my farm. I’m in wellies on all terrain and even did a 20-mile hike in them a few weeks ago – my walking boots had fallen apart so I thought I may as well try doing it in my wellies and getting used to it. There were some steep climbs, and I was expecting a lot of blisters, but I’d slipped in an extra pair of insoles and surprisingly my feet were fine.”
After completing the Oysho Cardiff Half Marathon and another half at the end of October, Neil plans to start incorporating his wellington boots into his training runs for the ABP Newport Half Marathon on Sunday 19 April.
He said: “My base fitness is there, I’ve just got to learn how to run in wellies and get the right pair of boots. I do so much work in them and have chased animals, so I’ve done a bit of running in them, but now I need to build up my pace in the wellies and thankfully the Newport half marathon is a flat course.”
He added: “I’ve tried lots of different boots and have found a pair that are quite slim and lightweight – they’re also made of rubber as per the GWR rules.”
Neil is working with a chiropractor at The Tuning Room in Cardiff Bay, who will be helping him to look after his feet and he’s also sought advice from his trainer at Sawmill Endurance Training too. South Wales Farm Vets have also got behind him on his challenge.
The sheep and cattle farmer added: “I’m hoping to raise a few thousand pounds for the Farm Community Network. Agriculture is a really difficult industry to work in at the moment. Lots of farms are going under financially and there’s a lot of mental health issues that come with the job as it can be very lonely, but the charity is great at working alongside farmers to get to a better place with professionalism, understanding and compassion.
“I want to show other farmers that it is possible to do something other than farming. Fitness has had such a huge positive impact on my own mental and physical health and I’m so much stronger and work so much better on the farm as a result. I can’t recommend it enough.”
FCN Cymru area manager Linda Jones said: “I would like to sincerely thank Neil not only for his fundraising effort for FCN Cymru, but also for his commitment to raise awareness for the work we undertake.
“As Welsh agriculture undergoes significant change, FCN Cymru is uniquely placed to support people across the industry on this journey. We provide a listening ear and help the farming community to develop resilience, manage change and prepare for the future. Neil’s fundraising effort for us will help staff and volunteers in Wales to be able to continue providing support to farming families who need us.”
Matt Newman, Chief Executive at event organisers Run 4 Wales, added: “We’re always amazed at the challenges our runners take on at our events and we wish Neil all the best with his Guinness World Record attempt at the ABP Newport Half Marathon in April.”
For more information about the ABP Newport Marathon Festival visit: newportwalesmarathon.co.uk/ or to donate to Neil visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/neil-johnson-6
