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Woman denied nurse’s marathon world record because she wasn’t wearing skirt

by Justin Wise - 05/05/19 12:41 PM ET

A woman has been denied the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon time for a female wearing a nurse’s uniform because she wasn’t wearing a skirt.

Jessica Anderson ran the London Marathon last week in three hours, 8 minutes and 22 seconds while wearing scrubs and pants, the outfit she wears each day for work. Her time beat the previous nurse’s record of 3:08:54, according to Runner’s World.

{mosads}But an official from the Guinness World Records told her beforehand that she would need to wear a “blue or white nurse dress, a white pinafore apron, [and] a traditional white nurse’s cap” to have her marathon time counted, BBC noted.

Scrubs reportedly did not meet the criteria.

“I was quite taken aback when I read that they’d rejected my application and I did email them to ask them to reconsider but they said no,” Anderson, a nurse at the Royal London Hospital, told Runner’s World. “I get that it’s supposed to be a fun thing but their definition is just so outdated.

“Some of the nurses I work with do wear dresses but mostly we wear scrubs or a tunic and trousers. I’ve certainly never seen a male nurse wearing a dress to work.”

Anderson added that the Guinness should “revise their criteria instead of reinforcing old gender stereotypes.”

“Inclusiveness and respect are values that Guinness World Records holds extremely dear, and while we always need to ensure we can differentiate between categories, it is quite clear that this record title is long overdue a review, which we will conduct as a priority in the coming days,” The Guinness World Records said in a statement to CNN.

Organizers of the London Marathon said more than 400,000 people applied to run in the race this year, setting a record for the event.

Anderson pledged to run the marathon to raise funds for Barts Charity, an organization that advocates for better access to health care. Her fundraising page had raised more than £3,300 as of Sunday afternoon.

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