A marathon runner will not hold a Guinness World Record despite beating the previous best time.

Philip Powell turned to the dark side on Sunday, wearing a full Darth Vader costume in 23C heat.

The Maidstone hairdresser beat the record for fastest marathon as a Star Wars character, but ultimately the title went to another runner.

Going into the race, the 34-year-old was confident he could beat the current record of four hours 59 minutes.

And he did, completing the 26.2miles in four hours 40 minutes.

But another runner from a galaxy far, far away ran even faster, taking the record from Mr Powell.

Speaking after the race, the Vincent Park father-of-one said: "I still don't know what the other person's time was.

"I saw another person dressed as Darth Vader, but his costume was nowhere near as heavy, there was a Yoda and an X-Wing pilot too.

"The fastest I've run a marathon is three hours 20 minutes, it was quite hot then but I wasn't wearing a heavy black costume.

"Once I realised how hot it was I decided to have fun and take it easy, I was high-fiving kids along the way and stopped for an interview.

"Maybe I'll try the record again next year, now someone else has snatched it away."

Sunday was the third time Mr Powell had taken on the London Marathon, and his sixth overall.

Last year he gained the world record for fastest marathon dressed as Mr Potato Head.

Despite losing out on a new title, Mr Powell beat one of his own records, with 2018 proving his most successful fundraising year yet.

So far he has raised more than £6,500 for blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan.

Mr Powell chose the charity for his brother Ben, who received a stem cell transplant to treat his leukaemia.

The husband and father said: "I managed to see Ben after the race, Anthony Nolan had organised a sort of after party for family to see runners.

"He's still struggling at the moment but it was really good to see him there and have a beer together, even for half an hour."