When Brian Goldsmith crossed the finish line at the BMW Dallas Marathon on Sunday, striking the running man pose, the 37-year-old garnered a great deal of crowd support. Fully kitted out like an Arlington Renegades player, including shoulder pads, padded pants, and helmet, he set a new world record for the fastest marathon run in a football uniform. His time of 3:29:30 bested the former record of 3:33:42, set by Australian Alistair Kealty at the 2019 Dubai Marathon.
Goldsmith,—who played Division II football and rugby, and is a ticketing representative for the Arlington Renegades and a part-time fitness trainer—initially signed up for the Dallas Marathon in hopes of securing a Boston Marathon qualifying time. However, when a colleague suggested he run the race wearing a Renegades shirt, Goldsmith thought, why stop there? He discovered the Guinness record for running a marathon in a football uniform and decided to go for it.
For the last six weeks, Goldsmith has been wearing a football helmet on his training runs to get a feel for it. He told The Dallas Morning News, “...I’m sure I look like a psychopath." And as his excitement and nerves began building up last week, he posted a TikTok of himself wearing the full uniform to the office “to really get used to it.”
He started cramping up about six miles from the finish line, he told the newspaper, but, “I just kept telling myself to get to the next mile, kept playing that game,” he said.
Not only did Goldsmith break this highly specific world record on Sunday, it was also his debut marathon. He’s previously completed a triathlon that included a marathon-equivalent running portion, but Dallas marked his first official standalone race at the 26.2 mile distance. He’s also attempted other niche records, like running the fastest half marathon while dressed as a piece of fruit, but his banana suit endeavor did not earn a place in the record book. That doesn’t stop Goldsmith from pulling it out every year though, when he returns to his hometown for the Buffalo Bills’ home opener game. He runs 17 miles from North Buffalo to the stadium, dressed as a banana, and raises money for charity.
“I look at doing these extreme things as an inspiration for the people I work with in the gym,” he told The Dallas Morning News. “They see me do these crazy things. It is about the motivation to try and reach a goal.”
In a video shared on Instagram, Goldsmith can be seen after the race drinking celebratory Champagne straight from the bottle and pumping his fist. In another photo, he’s triumphantly holding up a Renegades football trophy. Many people have memorable first marathon experiences, but Goldsmith made sure his first experience at 26.2 miles would be remembered by everyone else too.
Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she's written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner's World, Like the Wind Magazine, The New York Times, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
