It took close to a gruelling six hours, but a determined father completed 26.2 miles and in doing so broke a new Guinness World Record.

Dave Cooke decided to run in full chain mail, looking as if he had just returned from the Crusades.

How he looked was not the problem, the issues came because the metal suit weighed 20kg (44lb).

The father-of-two, from Coller Crescent, Dartford, has previously completed six marathons, but that did not prepare him for how tough Sunday was.

The previous record for the marathon being run in chain mail was set by Michael Dodd, from Essex, who ran it in five hours, 49 minutes and seven seconds in 2014.

Dave just pipped him, running it in five hours 45 minutes.

The school-worker and volunteer football coach said: “I’m really pleased. I got amazing support from everyone, my friends, family, girlfriend, kids. I’m definitely not tempted to ever do it again, that is definitely my last marathon.”

So far Dave has collected more than £2,700 for the London Air Ambulance, but more is still expected in and he is hoping to have raised £3,000 in total.

Dozens of other runners from the towns competed, for full profiles on how they did see this week's Gravesend and Dartford Messengers:

Liz Hiscutt: four hours 42 minutes

Fred Roberts: four hours 33 minutes

Sam Pulman: four hours 52 minutes

Mark Mooney: three hours and 19 minutes

Ali Day: five hours 15 minutes

Joe Hamshare: five hours 27 minutes

Sophie Warren: five hours 15 minutes

Robert Standing: five hours 58 minutes

Steven Knight: four hours 35 minutes

Norman Grimes: six hours

Graham Ward: four hours 58 minutes

Liz Hiscutt: four hours 42 minutes.