Ryan McLeod is fastest Duracell bunny

The 31-year-old is wearing the ears because he's a Duracell bunny pacemaker – and the fastest of the lot, running the course in 1hr 35mins.

It's the first time since the Great North Run started in 1981 that the club runners have had pacemakers and so Duracell have decided to sponsor them.

"I've never done fancy dress," said McLeod. "But I've always thought it would be good to have a daft world record. Imagine a carrot or something running 65 minutes."

"I remember a few years ago Craig Mottram, who was a great 5k runner, ran in a giant St Patrick's Day Guinness hat, and he was fairly quick."

There will be no hats for McLeod tomorrow, just bunny ears, but the Loughborough-based runner has plenty of pedigree in this event, because his dad Mike won the first two in 1981 and 1982.

"My dad won the first two before I was born, so it's a race that the family loves doing," he said.

"My brother's done it, I've done it and obviously my dad, but unfortunately he's on holiday so he can't watch.

"I'm really looking forward to it. It's going to be a different experience for me, not being competitive and having to be disciplined.

"But it's going to be good fun, and I'm happy to give something back to the sport."

Although the elite runners have had pacemakers before, this year is the first time all the other runners have had them too.

Duracell has recruited 50 experienced runners to pace the race at 10 minute intervals but McLeod is scheduled the fastest.

"I'm pacing the orange wave, but it will be a relatively slow event for me, taking in seven minute miles," explained the Tipton Harrier.

But Dad Mike added: "I'm extremely proud that my son will be the first pacer to cross the line 35 years after I was the first finisher at the first Great North Run."