A WEST Devon man was one of a duo who managed to smash a world record when they took part in this year's London Marathon. Paul Bartlett, a 43-year-old retained fire-fighter from Chagford, ran the London Marathon in full fire kit, including helmet, boots and a breathing apparatus cylinder, managing to set a new world record in the process. Said Paul: 'I'm so, so relieved that it is all over! Thanks a million to everyone who supported me. 'I teamed up with Mark Rogers from Greenbank Station, Plymouth and the two of us ran the race together. I couldn't have done it so quickly without him. 'We broke the record for the fastest fully kitted fire-fighters in a time of 5 hours 36 minutes. It was hell from about the eighth mile, those boots just weren't made for running!' Paul was aiming to complete the marathon in under five hours but still managed to to beat the previous record of 7 hours 10 minutes by a huge margin and was greeted at the finish line by a delegation from the Guinness World Records who told him he was now a world record holder. Paul added: 'I've still got blisters on my feet now. We were both suffering from the heat inside our jackets, the mass of broken blisters on our feet and the cuts and abrasions caused by the BA sets on our backs. 'The crowd were really great, we had a massive amount of support and thanks goes to all those people lining the route, even the guy who thought we were builders! 'Crossing the finish line was such an enormous release, I just wanted to collapse. Still, it was worth it because we both raised a lot of money for our two charities but if I ever think of doing it again will someone give me a good slap!' Paul managed to raise close to £1,400 for the Frenchay After Burns Children's Club, a charity based in Bristol and the only burns unit in the South West. The FAB Club carries out vital work supporting children who have been physically and mentally damaged by fires. It allows them to come to terms with their injuries and helps them grow into happy, fulfilled adults. Paul would also like to extend thanks to the Bullers Arms in Chagford who recently held a bingo night, the proceeds going towards the FAB Club on Paul's behalf.
