27-hour bumper car world record for charity

WITH bloodshot eyes and covered in soot, record-breaker Marcus Gaines stepped triumphantly from his bumper car.
BUMPER OCCASION Tired but jubilant, Marcus Gaines smashes the world record for the longest time a bumper car has been driven. Picture: Joe RobertsBUMPER OCCASION Tired but jubilant, Marcus Gaines smashes the world record for the longest time a bumper car has been driven. Picture: Joe Roberts
BUMPER OCCASION Tired but jubilant, Marcus Gaines smashes the world record for the longest time a bumper car has been driven. Picture: Joe Roberts

The zany father-of-two yesterday broke the world record for the longest time a bumper car has been driven, raising hundreds of pounds for research into epilepsy.

Marcus, 38, from Wickham, managed to stay awake for the stunt at Funlands, Hayling Island, for 27 hours, eight minutes and 25 seconds.

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He stole the title back from the last record breaker by an hour.

BUMPER OCCASION Tired but jubilant, Marcus Gaines smashes the world record for the longest time a bumper car has been driven. Picture: Joe RobertsBUMPER OCCASION Tired but jubilant, Marcus Gaines smashes the world record for the longest time a bumper car has been driven. Picture: Joe Roberts
BUMPER OCCASION Tired but jubilant, Marcus Gaines smashes the world record for the longest time a bumper car has been driven. Picture: Joe Roberts

To qualify, at least two other cars had to be going at the same time for the entire duration and he was willingly helped by visitors to the fairground and a 14-strong group of friends.

‘Every time it looked as if I was drifting off, one of them would crash in to me and that certainly woke me up,’ said Marcus.

‘After more than 27 hours it was a case of literally unfolding myself out of the bumper car.

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‘I’ve got loads of bruises, my knees are killing me, my eyes are bloodshot and I’m covered in soot.

‘But I’ve broken the record with an extra hour to spare which is brilliant. I just never, ever want to do it again.’

Marcus broke the record for the first time two years ago and he did it in memory of his late aunts, Wendy Tonks and Anne Tucker, who were both from Wickham, and both died due to complications from epilepsy.

He spent many happy summers riding on the bumper cars at the travelling fair that used to visit Wickham in the school holidays with his family.

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The television cameraman said: ‘My parents owned the newsagents in Wickham and the fair would roll up right outside.

‘I have such happy memories riding the bumper cars with my auntie Anne.

‘I wanted to do something in her memory.’ Marcus was allowed a five-minute break every hour during his attempt.

So far, £300 has been raised for Epilepsy Research UK. Go to justgiving.com/bumpercarworldrecord

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