It’s safe to say Nicholas Mizera donned the most dapper attire for the Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon on October 18. 

The 27-year-old journalist from Toronto ran 1:35:47 clad in a blue suit and black bowtie, his efforts earning him both a new personal best and the distinction of Guinness World Record holder. Mizera broke the previous record for “Fastest half marathon in a suit,” a record which Ben Moore held since 2012 with a time of 1:39:50. 

“I ended up with a lot of hair off my knees and some chafing around my neck because of the tie,” Mizera told Runner’s World. “But I found that chafing is minimal if the suit is tailored to you, so it wasn’t too bad.” 

The idea to go for the record was fitting for Mizera, who regularly writes about menswear and has a style blog called The Gentleman Journalist.

“My girlfriend found out that there was actually a beatable record, so she suggested I do it,” said Mizera, who already had experience running in slacks and a sport coat. This past spring, he raced the Harry’s Spring Run Off, an 8K which has a tradition where participants suit up to race. He finished in 35:15 while fundraising for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

Because the only jackets and slacks he owned were made out of polyester, Mizera set out to find an outfit better suited for running a half marathon. He came across a new suit from Indochino, which was made with merino wool. 

“It’s a very light and sweat-wicking fabric,” Mizera said, “so I was like, wow, this sounds like an actual technical suit. It was exactly what I was looking for.” 

Mizera reached out to Indochino, and the company responded by sending him a custom suit for the race. For footwear, he opted for his New Balance 1500s because Guinness’ rules allow for either running or formal shoes.

To troubleshoot for potential problems, Mizera logged a handful of training runs, his longest reaching 25K. The only issue he discovered was wind.

“My blazer would flap open and take it all in like a parachute,” Mizera said. “So for race day, I needed to wear a bib belt and it kept my jacket closed.”  

He also realized he would need to pin down his pocket square and bowtie because his “costume” needed to stay intact for the record to be eligible. That meant no loosening of the tie, either. 

“I was facing a lot of cognitive dissonance during the run,” Mizera said. “On one hand, I knew I couldn’t adjust or take off anything, and on the other, I was like, ‘Oh, I should just take off this jacket...oh, no I can’t.’”

But thanks to his practice runs and chilly, overcast weather, Mizera said he believes he ran as fast as he would have in a singlet and shorts. 

Beginner Running Gear Running Shoes - Gear, which was run by Joe Elliott in 2013.  

“Since I’m not the fastest runner I know, I know a lot of them could just suit up and take my record tomorrow,” Mizera said. “I think that’s actually really exciting. But if someone beats my record, I’ll try to take it back.”