Idaho man wears 137 T-shirts for half-marathon world record

If you’ve ever wondered how to layer while running, Idaho’s David Rush is your guy. On May 17 in Boise, Idaho, Rush bundled up into 137 T-shirts and completed the Famous Idaho Potato Marathon half-marathon in 2:51:44, which, as of last week, became a new Guinness World Record for the most T-shirts worn during a half-marathon. (Runners must complete the distance in less than three hours).

Rush had previously earned the record after running the Famous Idaho Potato half-marathon in 2022, wearing 111 T-shirts. The record was later taken by another runner, who donned 127 T-shirts.

“I first attempted [to break the record] in May of 2024,” Rush told Canadian Running. “But when I got 114 T-shirts on that year, I lost circulation in my neck and had to abandon the attempt.” Rush made his successful attempt again one year later, after getting more 6 XL T-shirts to layer with; he successfully completed the run, despite losing circulation in his hands, trying not to overheat and battling claustrophobia.

“The shirts weighed 48 pounds,” he said. “With 137 layers of fabric between my arms and sides, not only could I not feed myself or drink water myself, since my hands couldn’t reach my face, shoulder separation was also a concern.”

To prepare for the excessive layers, Rush trained wearing as many layers as possible. “I’d wear several shirts, fleeces, a rain jacket to trap moisture and heat, flannel, a winter coat, [plus] hats and gloves,” he said on his blog. “I added 35 to 50 lbs in a backpack, and then I’d run.” Rush can put on about 40 T-shirts on his own, but needed a team of people to help him with the other 97 shirts.

In his lifetime, Rush has broken more than 350 Guinness World Records, including more 150 since 2022. Most recently, on Nov. 10, he broke the record for most bowling balls held simultaneously while riding a unicycle, holding seven bowling balls. “David is a serial record breaker,” the Guinness World Record site states.