A St Albans resident has become the fastest woman to finish a marathon dressed as a cake.

With a time of 4:12:20, Anna Bassil, 42, of St Albans, set the record at the Virgin Money London Marathon and earned the win of the fastest marathon by a woman dressed as a sweet food.

Anna, a quality assurance manger for a pharmaceutical company, also raised at least £10,000 for Save the Children, which will be doubled by her employer.

The costume was made with chicken wire, hula hoops and papier-mache, and made the race harder to run Anna told Press Association, adding: "I could not use my arms to swing in the normal rhythm. I was quite uncomfortable and obviously with the weight on my shoulders but equally there was a number of 'go cake' (cheers) as I went around."

This year's Virgin Money London Marathon was not the first time Anna has run a race dressed as a dessert.

Great British Life: Anna Bassil is running the London Marathon in a giant cupcake costume.Anna Bassil is running the London Marathon in a giant cupcake costume. (Image: Anna Bassil)

For last year's virtual marathon, she ran 26.2 miles around St Albans in a cake costume, raising more than £6,00 for Save the Children.

She was also not the only Guinness World Record breaker on the day.

In total, 30 new records involving 39 runners, were set at this year's marathon.

This includes Chris Green, who dressed as a rhino fundraising for Save the Rhino International to claim the title of fastest marathon by a man dressed as a mammal.

A man and a woman dressed as a dog became the fastest two-person costume at 3:17.12 and the fastest marathon runner dressed as as three-dimensional plant record was also set.