An inspiring teacher who was told he only had two years left to live has broken a Guinness World Record for a half-marathon wheelchair push.

Phil Rossall, 66, a former language teacher in Beckenham and Orpington, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease three years ago.

Doctors predicted he would be dead within two years but since then Phil has raised £28,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

He is a former marathon runner and completed his last run on his feet a year before his life-changing diagnosis.

Phil is now in a wheelchair after losing the use of his muscles and is fully reliant on a ventilator for breathing.

His friend, Marcus Green, 33, who also lives in Orpington, signed up to the Worthing Half Marathon with him, which they completed in one hour and 29 minutes in February.

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However, the pair have now been told that the time has beaten the previous Guinness World Record by nearly six minutes.

"All I had to do was sit there, keep breathing and let Marcus do all the work," Phil joked.

Phil and Marcus know each other from their work together at Age UK.

The pair wanted to raise awareness for Crohn’s, AGE UK and motor neurone disease and to prove that anything is possible regardless of age or illness.

Phil told News Shopper being informed about the world record was a "fantastic feeling".

He used to work at Langley Park School for Boys in Beckenham for almost five years and said it was a great place to teach language.

The former teacher also had a stint at Darrick Wood School in Orpington.

Speaking about the achievement, Marcus, a keen runner himself, said: "We wanted to challenge ourselves and at the same time raise awareness of the great work our charities are doing."

Phil has completed five marathons in the past but insisted that Marcus did all the work this time.

He still works for Age UK from his home in Orpington and received "fantastic support" from friends and family during the record breaking half-marathon.