David Baker

Marathoner & Guinness World Record Holder

The first kilt David Baker put on was a lavalava, a Polynesian skirt worn by, among others, Fijian police officers. David was 15 years old and playing in the brass band at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Oahu, Hawaii, where he had moved with his family.

All David knew at the time was that this wraparound garment was incredibly comfortable, and he wore one whenever he could. This included a three month stay in Fiji after college, where David wore his lavalava every day, because “guys are happier with a bit of breeze up in their happy place.”

Fast forward to 2016 when David got serious about distance racing. After seeing a fellow competitor in a kilt, there was no doubt in David’s mind that he’d don one of his own for ultimate comfort while marathoning.

Wherever he races, David commands attention. “Generally I hear something like ‘nice kilt!’ as I run past,” he says. “Some of the other questions make me smile, [like] ‘does it ever fall off?’ [or] ‘What do you wear under it?’ Regardless, when you’re one of hundreds or even thousands of runners doing something as inherently difficult as running a marathon, it’s nice to get singled out for any reason.”

And David’s not just any runner – he’s on a quest to run in each of the six major world marathons. Earlier this year, he set his sights on another goal – to break the Guinness World Record for Fastest Half Marathon in Highland Dress. Yes, this is a thing!

On June 11, 2022, David ran the Drop13 Half Marathon in Utah wearing his MacNaughton Sport Kilt and flashes. Gliding along the road thanks to the sleek design and ultimate comfort of a Sport Kilt, David finished at 1:28.45.8., besting the previous world record by nearly 15 minutes.

You can check out the full story of the record run, along with video proof, on David’s site.