PREVIEW

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For athletes, crossing the finish line of a 26-mile marathon is a monumental achievement. Yet for marathon legend Lloyd Scott, who has surpassed 20 marathons, scaled some of the highest peaks, and crossed Arctic wastelands, his life story has inspired people worldwide.
At 62 years old, Lloyd now faces a pivotal moment as he prepares for life-altering cancer surgery.
Despite tackling some of the most physically demanding challenges across the globe, arguably the most gruelling challenges Lloyd has had to face, are with his own health.
Scheduled for April 15, Lloyd faces surgery to remove a tumour from his throat, leaving him unable to speak and relying on a stoma to breathe.
Despite having had over 30 surgeries, Lloyd remains optimistic. He said: “The journey is not finished yet; this is just another stop along the way.”
He continued: “I was hoping to do the Swim Serpentine challenge later this year, but with my stoma, I will be unable to swim. I will just have to think of something else – which I already have, but you’ll have to wait to find out what it is!”
During his recovery, Lloyd can communicate using British Sign Language, and although a useful skill for post-surgery communication, Lloyd noted: "Virtually nobody will be able to understand me, unless they know BSL!
“I can use an electronic box, which I can hold to my throat and speak, until I have healed enough to have a speaking valve implanted.”
“My health complications are always accompanied by ‘what challenge am I going to do next?’ That gives me something to focus on to get me through my treatment,” Lloyd added.
Despite his own challenges, Lloyd has never entertained the thought of stopping or giving up. “When I have had really tough times, undertaking the challenges, I think of the charity I am raising money for and that sees me through,” he shared.
“Life, like true love, never runs smoothly! Always be prepared to make changes and adapt,” he added.
Lloyd’s battle with cancer began in 1987 when he was diagnosed with leukaemia. Two years later he underwent a bone marrow transplant, after completing the London Marathon three weeks prior.
While he triumphed against his battle with leukaemia, in 2021, he received the devasting news that he had synovial sarcoma – a rare form of cancer that typically develops in the cells around joints and tendons.
That Summer, he underwent a rigorous course of chemotherapy. Yet, in June 2022, Lloyd was informed that the cancer had unfortunately returned. In August 2022, he underwent extensive surgery, lasting over 13 and a half hours, to remove the sarcoma.
Come December 2023, Lloyd’s cancer had emerged in both his lung and leg. Following another round of chemotherapy, he underwent surgery in January 2024 to remove the lumps from his lung and leg.
To record his triumphs across the years, Lloyd undertook the less physical but still demanding challenge of writing his book, The Slowest Man in the World.
“With everything that has happened over the last few years, I have had to keep delaying the ending as I don’t know how it will finish. I still don’t know, and I am the author!
“[I would] just like to thank all the incredible surgeons, doctors and nurses at UCLH in helping me delay the ending!”
Over 35 years, Lloyd has raised over £5 million for charity, gaining public recognition after completing the London Marathon in a deep-sea diving suit.
In fact, the same diving suit helped him to secure two Guinness World Records in 2013 - ‘first person to complete a marathon distance on foot underwater’ and ‘most consecutive steps climbed in an antique diving suit’.
For himself, in the varying forms of challenges, there have been many highlights. Undoubtedly completing the London Marathon in the deep-sea diving suit was a rewarding memory for Lloyd. Another of Lloyd’s most memorable challenges was cycling across Australia on a Penny Farthing, which he regards as his greatest physical challenge.
Notably, he also is proud of completing the world’s first underwater marathon in Loch Ness, Scotland – a bonkers idea that he cannot believe materialised and raised over £1 million for charity.
Upon looking back at his choice of bizarre costumes, Lloyd said: “I just thought, ‘what is the worst costume one could possibly wear to complete a marathon?’ After that my imagination kind of ran wild and still does.”
Other eccentric costumes Lloyd donned in marathons include Indiana Jones, with a boulder ‘chasing’ him and The Iron Giant, Lloyd's favourite costume, measuring a staggering nine feet high.