WARRENSBURG, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri runner who knitted his way into the record books is preparing for the New York City Marathon.

David Babcock secured the Guinness Word Record last year for knitting a scarf that measured just more than 12 feet long during the 5 hours and 48 minutes it took him to run the Kansas City Marathon. The University of Central Missouri associate professor of art and design will face an extra challenge Sunday during the New York race.

The university says that because of tight security in New York, Babcock can’t use tradition knitting needles and will have to use a finger-knitting technique. He got a chance to practice the technique during a recent half marathon in Kansas City.

Babcock uses his unusual skill to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease.