When You Wish Upon a Star Trustee Mandy Sims Achieves Guinness World Records™ Title for Fastest Half Marathon Dressed as a Star (Female)

When You Wish Upon a Star is proud to celebrate Trustee Mandy Sims, who has officially been awarded the Guinness World Records™ title for the Fastest Half Marathon Dressed as a Star (Female). Her extraordinary accomplishment marks the culmination of a challenging three-year journey, filled with costume redesigns, strict criteria, and meticulous preparations.

To meet Guinness World Records™ regulations, Mandy needed a fully rigid, five‑pointed yellow star costume covering her entire torso. After multiple unsuccessful attempts through theatre companies and universities, Mandy reached out to Paul and Sam from Print and Display, who finally cracked the brief. They produced detailed designs and a cardboard prototype, which Mandy tested and refined.

“Once the head placement was sorted – with a bit of help from some car sponges – we moved on to securing race director permission and gathering the very specific evidence Guinness requires,” Mandy explained.

This evidence included full video footage of the race via a chest-mounted GoPro, photographic proof at every mile marker, and the support of two accompanying runners to ensure safety. Mandy credits her support crew, Kerry and Laura, for keeping her moving and clearing the way during the race.

“We had to stop for a photo every mile. I couldn’t drink either, so they had to feed me because my arms couldn’t reach my face,” she recalled. “It definitely came with its challenges.”

Mandy’s motivation goes far beyond the record itself. She has run dressed as a star for years to highlight the work of When You Wish Upon a Star, inspired by her family's own experience. Her daughter, Abbie, was diagnosed with a brain tumour at age seven and had her wish granted by the charity: meeting McFly and visiting Lapland.

“You remember those times, even after all these years,” Mandy said. “That’s the motivation right there. Anything I can do to help grant wishes, absolutely anything, because every little helps.”

For more than 20 years, Mandy and her family have fundraised under the team banner Abbie’s Team, taking on marathons, mountain climbs, zorbing, abseils, parachute jumps, and more. “You have to come up with something different sometimes,” she added. “It’s the same people you’re asking to donate year after year. Doing something exciting keeps people interested.”

Mandy hopes her achievement sends a positive message to families and supporters of the charity: “If you set your mind to do something, you can achieve it. There was a lot of training involved – normal half marathon training, and then an extra level. Each week I spent at least one session on the treadmill in the costume!”

Despite the challenges, she says the experience taught her something vital: “You can set your mind to anything and achieve it.”

Turning 60 later this year, Mandy already has her eyes on new adventures. “I’d quite like to do an ultra-marathon, which is any distance further than 26.2 miles. I’ve also thought about climbing Kilimanjaro,” she said.

Her advice to anyone thinking of making a difference in their own unique way is simple: “Just do it. You’ll never regret going for it.”