{{Short description|British athlete, musician and television personality}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox person |name = The Running Viola |birth_name = Alistair Rutherford |birth_place = Liverpool |birth_date = 10 April 1995 |image = Alistair Rutherford.jpg |caption = '''The Running Viola''' at Birmingham International Marathon 2017 |website = |occupation = {{flat list| *Athlete *Musician *Public Figure *Project Manager }} }} '''Alistair Rutherford''', known more widely as '''The Running Viola''', is a British athlete, musician and television personality. He is a current double Guinness World Record holder for the fastest marathon and the fastest half marathon dressed as a musical instrument.<ref name="The Strad 2017">{{cite web | title=Running viola shatters marathon record | website=The Strad | date=16 October 2017 | url=https://www.thestrad.com/news/running-viola-shatters-marathon-record/7200.article | access-date=10 December 2017}}</ref><ref name="Classic FM 2017">{{cite web | title=This absolute maverick is running a marathon dressed as a VIOLA. AGAIN. | website=Classic FM | date=13 October 2017 | url=https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/the-running-viola-marathon/ | access-date=10 December 2017}}</ref>
==Career== Originally from Liverpool, Rutherford studied as a violist at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, graduating in 2017. The concept of The Running Viola came to him as an idea to raise money for ''arco'', a charity providing musical education for children in South Africa in conjunction with Birmingham City University and the Morris Isaacson Centre for Music.<ref name="MacKenzie 2017">{{cite web | last=MacKenzie | first=Amy | title=Student to run half marathon dressed as a viola in world record attempt | website=Classic FM | date=24 March 2017 | url=http://www.classicfm.com/music-news/world-record-viola/ | access-date=10 December 2017}}</ref><ref name="ITV News 2017">{{cite web | title=Student hopes to break his second world record at this weekend's marathon | website=ITV News | date=15 October 2017 | url=http://www.itv.com/news/central/2017-10-15/student-hopes-to-break-his-second-world-record-at-this-weekends-marathon/ | access-date=10 December 2017}}</ref><ref name="Morley 2017">{{cite web | last=Morley | first=Christopher | title=Helping deprived youngsters is a string to Birmingham student's bow | website=birminghampost | date=November 9, 2017 | url=https://www.birminghampost.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/helping-deprived-youngsters-string-birmingham-13880726 | access-date=10 December 2017}}</ref> He has since become the manager of the project.
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Running Viola, The}} Category:1995 births Category:Living people Category:British classical violists Category:British men long-distance runners Category:British men marathon runners Category:Alumni of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Category:English men long-distance runners Category:Sportspeople from Liverpool Category:Musicians from Liverpool Category:English men marathon runners Category:21st-century English sportsmen
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