World Record for Longest Bowling Run-Up: While cricket history has witnessed long run-ups from fast bowlers like Shoaib Akhtar, Brett Lee, and Michael Holding, a club cricketer from England has set a unique world record by pushing the boundaries of a run-up to the extreme.
Sam Boduano a long-distance runner and club cricketer known on Instagram as ‘IronBodz’ has made history by completing a run-up spanning 62 miles (approximately 100 kilometers) just to deliver a single ball.
A 100km Run with a Cricket Ball in Hand
For this unique record, Sam Boduano began his run at the historic Lord’s Cricket Ground known as the 'Mecca of Cricket' and ran through the night to reach the Valley End Cricket Club in Woking.
Sam embarked on this run on Saturday evening, carrying a cricket ball, after play concluded on the third day of the Lord’s Test between England and Pakistan. Throughout the journey, he wore a white cricket jersey and ran continuously for over 14 hours.
He shared a vlog from London Bridge after completing 10 kilometers and recorded his journey along the way. At one point in the morning, fatigue caused him to bump into a lamppost—an incident he described as entertaining content.
The previous record for the longest run-up was 24 kilometers (15 miles), a mark Sam far surpassed by running 100 kilometers. Notably, Sam arrived at the ground ahead of the scheduled 2 PM delivery time on Sunday (August 30).
Bowling the First Delivery to His Father
When he bowled his first delivery after completing the 100 km run, his father was at the crease as the batsman. Immediately after bowling, he played a full official match in the presence of umpires and scorers, even hitting some magnificent shots while batting.
Sam’s historic endeavor was not merely about setting a record but was for a noble cause. He raised over £3,200 for the ‘Ruth Strauss Foundation,’ established in memory of former England captain Andrew Strauss’s late wife. Prior to this, Sam had also achieved the feat of completing a 5-kilometer ‘parkrun’ in under 20 minutes while wearing cricket pads and carrying a bat.
