A runner with multiple sclerosis (MS) has broken the record for the fastest half-marathon ever completed by someone with the disease, despite being told to avoid strenuous exercise after his diagnosis.
Chris White, from Luton, Bedfordshire, completed the Brighton Half Marathon in 1 hour, 30 minutes and 46 seconds on March 1, breaking the previous Guinness World Record of 1 hour, 33 minutes and 08 seconds.
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White was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2017 when he felt a sensation in his legs that he described as “stuck in the mud.”
The 42-year-old, who only started running two years ago, said the sport gave him time to process his diagnosis and “process” his thoughts.
White was diagnosed with the disease in 2017 when his legs felt like they were “stuck in the mud” [marathon-photos.com]
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the body’s central nervous system, causing a range of symptoms including blurred vision and problems with movement and thinking.
More than 150,000 people in the UK live with multiple sclerosis.
White told the BBC he suffered extreme fatigue, numbness and balance problems as a result of the disease.
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Immediately after his diagnosis, White was told to “avoid strenuous exercise” and over the next two years he gained three stone (19kg).
He started running in 2024 “after hearing an interview on the radio about people with multiple sclerosis running half marathons,” and has since completed more than 15 half marathons.
The race is 13.1 miles (21.1 kilometers) long.
In late 2025, his partner suggested that he try to break the world record for the fastest half-marathon run by someone with multiple sclerosis, as he was only six minutes off his personal best at the time.
White self-isolated for two weeks before the game to make sure he didn’t get sick because his immune system was “deficient” due to multiple sclerosis.
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After finding out he had broken the record, White said he was “shocked” and “very proud.”
Currently, the world record will be confirmed by Guinness World Records and is awaiting official certification.
White will run the London Marathon in April to raise funds for the MS Trust [Chris White]
White will now run the 2026 London Marathon in April to raise funds for the MS Trust, which supported him when he was first diagnosed.
The event will be White’s first full marathon, and the runner described how he increased his “strength training” and visited an osteopath to prepare for the marathon.
White said he doesn’t think “a lot of people really understand what it is.” [MS] or the impact it could have” and said he wanted to run for the Multiple Sclerosis Trust to help “raise awareness and awareness of the disease and the work the Trust does to help people”.
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