Marathon runner dresses as Mercury

Friday 20th April 2012

A man dressed as Freddie Mercury in a mini skirt and pushing a vacuum cleaner is one of 30 people running the London Marathon on behalf of the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT).

Ben Hickman, 22, from Bromley, Kent, will run the 26.2 mile course dressed as Mercury from the 1980s video I Want To Break Free, which saw the singer depicted as housewife complete with bouffant hair, pink blouse and heels. Ben will forgo Freddie's footwear in favour of running shoes.

But in honour of the star, who died from an Aids-related illness in 1991, he will wear a Mercury-esque moustache while pushing a heavy vacuum cleaner just as in the music video.

Also running to raise awareness for people living with HIV will be Lauren Bull, 30, from Twickenham, south-west London.

The 30-year-old doctor, who specialises in sexual health, hopes to complete the course wearing a brightly-coloured costume covered in condoms.

Sonya Trivedy, head of fundraising at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "Our marathon runners are real heroes, and we can't thank them enough for their hard work, enthusiasm, and extraordinary creativity.

"Our fundraising team will be cheering them on at the race, and we wish all of them the very best of luck."

To sponsor either Ben or Lauren running the Virgin London Marathon visit http://www.virginmoneygiving.com and search for Ben Hickman or Lauren Bull.

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