Marathon runners are a dedicated bunch normally — let’s face it, running 26.2 miles requires some serious devotion. But on Oct. 2, members of Team Jenny will show what dedication truly means when they run linked together during the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon.

The group is seeking to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the most runners tethered together while running a marathon. The current record is 47 runners, set at the 2011 London Marathon in April.

The world record attempt is a fund-raiser benefitting Jenny Crain, a world-class runner who was hit by a car near downtown Milwaukee in August 2007 while training for the Olympic Trials for a chance to run in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The near-fatal accident left her with multiple broken bones and severe brain trauma.

In the four years since the accident, Crain has regained the ability to walk and talk. But the intense therapy that has helped Crain reach this point costs nearly $80,000 per year. To help support her ongoing care and rehabilitation, family members created the Make It Happen Fund.

Crain’s supporters are hoping to raise $75,000 for attempting the record-breaking feat at the 2011 Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon. Aptly dubbed the "Jennipede," 75 runners, representing a wide range of athletic abilities, experience and ages, will be linked together during the race. Each runner will be connected by a rope passing through carabiners attached to race belts.

"There are runners of all levels participating so it won’t be a fast team, but we’re all there to support Jenny," says Robin Gohsman, who is leading the effort. He anticipates the group will run a 13-minute mile, with a projected finish time of five hours and 41 minutes.

Each of the runners on Team Jenny has committed to raise a minimum of $500 for the Make It Happen Fund. Gohsman says the team members who raise the most money will be awarded the lead positions in the running queue. "We want to break the record by a significant margin to ward off other attempts," Gohsman says.Among the members of Team Jenny is Jenny Crain’s older brother, Peter Crain. The 2011 event is his first marathon. "The support has been overwhelming," Crain says of fund-raising efforts to aid his sister’s ongoing care. "This is an unbelievable group of passionate, caring people."

But perhaps better than the chance to make the Guinness Book of World Records is the plan for Jenny Crain to accompany the team across the marathon finish line. "That’s the moment that will be remembered forever," Gohsman says.