FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - Everyone needs a dream. For me, it's seeing the majestic Orca whale in the wild (don't judge), but for track and field coach Melvin Nyairo, that dream was to break the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ for the fastest half-marathon—dressed as a fruit. But what fruit to choose? An apple wouldn’t be very aerodynamic, grapes would be all over the place, and don’t even get me started on pineapple. Luckily for Nyairo, Chiquita Brands International stepped in to turn his dream into a reality, while spreading the word about the fun side of healthy living. The intrepid runner donned his finest banana suit and blasted past the competition at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half-Marathon.
"Growing up in Kenya, I have always loved bananas as they've helped fuel my training throughout the years. It was such a natural choice to run the marathon dressed as a Chiquita banana to break the record," Nyairo said. "Racing on behalf of a reputable brand such as Chiquita has been an honor, and breaking a world record will be an experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life."
Nyairo has run in 18 half-marathons in his attempt to break the world record, and after an attention-grabbing attempt in a banana suit in a California half-marathon, Chiquita took note. The company offered Nyairo an a-peeling new suit, training gear, a round-trip ticket to Toronto, and, of course, oodles of nutritious Chiquita bananas.
"Chiquita has always been committed to demonstrating the fun side of healthy snacking, and it doesn't get more fun than running a race dressed as an iconic yellow banana," said Jamie Postell, Director of Sales North America for Chiquita International, in a press release. "We're thrilled to help Melvin accomplish his dream and hope he enjoys snacking on our delicious bananas as he continues to train for upcoming races."
On October 20, Nyairo took his place in the starting line, in his banana suit, and waited for the race of his life to begin. The previous world record for this unique category was a time of 1:19:13, which Nyairo sped past with minutes to spare, hitting a finish time of 1:15:35. As the official holder of the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the fastest half-marathon dressed as a fruit, Nyairo was ready to celebrate—and so was Chiquita. The company offered him a full year’s supply of bananas to commemorate the achievement and fuel his future victories.
"It was my pleasure to witness the 22 runners who were attempting a Guinness World Records title at the 2019 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon," said Spencer Cammarano, Guinness World Records Adjudicator. "I am thrilled to share that Melvin Nyairo has achieved a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title and is now Officially Amazing™."
Congratulations to Nyairo on his well-deserved achievement!
