Felicity Aston and Jo Vellino from Kent are braving the London Marathon this Sunday April 23, dressed as Pink Lady Apples on behalf of Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
Aston, 32, from Hildenborough and Vellino, 25 from Tonbridge are well prepared to heave an apple costume around the course as they’re both in training for the first all-female crossing of the Greenland ice-cap. Just a week after the London marathon, the pair, as the appropriately named ‘Artic Foxes’ with two other team members, are attempting to traverse the Greenland ice-cap from Kangerlussuaq in the west to Ammasilik in the east and return - a formidable distance of 1,300 kilometres.
Back in London to complete the 26-mile 385-yard marathon course, Aston and Vellino will be wearing Pink Lady Apple costumes that weigh 5lb. The costumes took a month to make and are made half-inch thick Plastazote covered in lycra. The apples are 36 inches in diameter and have all the appropriate holes for arms and legs.
Vellino has one London Marathon to her name already, but is especially looking forward to running the marathon in a Pink Lady apple costume. She said: “Having run the marathon once in shorts and a t-shirt it seemed like a fun idea to run it in a costume. I'm always up for a challenge. As we’re running for charity we’re keen to stand out and I love Pink Lady Apples but I'm not sure running as one is going to be quite as pleasant an experience as eating one.”
Aston agreed: “Making the finishing line dressed as a Pink Lady apple will be a great thrill and the training has been excellent preparation for our Greenland ice cap challenge. No doubt the great London Marathon crowd will cheer us on and we’ll definitely stand out from the crowd.”
