A runner has proved he is foamy head and shoulders bitter than the rest after becoming holder of a world record.

Brighton Bier director Stephen Whitehurst has sprinted into the record books after being confirmed as the fastest half-marathon runner in the world – dressed as a bottle.

The 41-year-old runner certainly was not ale-ing when he completed the Brighton Half Marathon in February in one hour and 37 minutes dressed in a beer bottle outfit which advertised his company.

Now, after a six-month wait, the Arena 80 running club member has been confirmed as the world record holder.

He said: “I had to provide them with a big dossier of evidence with video, photographs and signed statements from race officials. I got a lot of fun comments from people when I was running.

“Probably the best was from one man who, about 500m from the finish, ran up to me and said ‘Thank-you so much, you are such an inspiration to me because for the last two miles I have been telling myself I am not going to be beaten by a beer bottle’.

“I lost about three kilos wearing it. The outfit is made of foam and your skin just can’t breathe at all.”

Mr Whitehurst still has the costume and said he was considering attempting to break the full marathon record as his current personal best of three hours 26 minutes was about ten minutes quicker than the current record.

He and his fellow directors opened their first pub, the Brighton Bier Dispensary, on the site of the former Prince Arthur in Dean Street in April.

Mr Whitehurst said the new venture was going “brilliantly” and the pub had just been named third-best pub of 2014 in the country by ShortList magazine.

For more information, visit www.brightonbier.com.