Rhino Les in running for a marathon effort (From Swindon Advertiser)

Rhino Les in running for a marathon effort

12:47pm Friday 20th April 2012 in Runners put best feet forward for London Marathon 2012

Rhino Les in running for a marathon effort 9:00am Friday 13th April 2012 in Local By Matthew Edwards Les Slinn A PERSONAL trainer is attempting a marathon effort to help save the rhino.

Les Slinn will be wearing a rhino outfit as he attempts to complete this year’s London Marathon for animal welfare charity, Save The Rhino.

For most, just running a marathon is a daunting prospect but Les is used to going the extra mile for charity.

Last year he entered the Guinness Book of Records for running the fastest London Marathon time dressed as a Roman legionnaire.

On April 22 he will be dressed as a rhino, but says he will not be attempting to break any records this time.

“It is tough running in the outfit. It weighs 15kg and it is so restrictive. You can hardly see anything and you have to carry the head so it is going to be difficult,” he said.

To train for the event Les has been running around Swindon carrying weights, and for the last month he has been able to train in the rhino suit, complete with huge head and horn.

In March, he ran the 10k race Swindon Mad March Hare around Lydiard Park, and two weeks ago he completed the Reading half marathon in the suit in an impressive time of two hours and eight minutes.

“The rhinos are iconic to the London Marathon,” he said. “Before Christmas I wanted to do the London Marathon and I was thinking what would make it a bit harder.

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www.getkidsgoing.com/brighton The Nuts Challenge Surrey Military assault course challenge September. 7k, 14k, 21k, 28k www.TheNutsChallenge.co.uk “I went straight on the internet and sent them a cheeky email to see if it was still possible to run in one of the suits, and they said yes.”

Save the Rhino International works to conserve populations of critically endangered rhinos in Africa and Asia.

Les visited the Cotswold Wildlife Park on Good Friday to see the real-life rhinos and, wearing the suit, aimed to raise the profile of the animal welfare charity.

He said: “It is all about raising the profile of the charity and help to protect the rhinos. They are needlessly hunted and slaughtered to satisfy the demand for the unproven medicinal benefits from their horns.”

To support Les and his fundraising efforts donate by visiting www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/rhinoles