Guinness World Records has pledged to review its rules after a nurse was denied a London Marathon record because she wore trousers with her scrubs.
Jessica Anderson was fundraising for Barts Charity when she crossed the line with a time of 3hrs 8mins and 22secs last Sunday.
Ms Anderson had been aiming to become the quickest woman to complete the race dressed as a nurse.
She narrowly beat Sarah Dudgeon, who set the record with a time of 3hrs 8mins and 54secs in 2015.
After the race however, Guinness World Records (GWR) informed her that her attempt did not count – as, under its rules, a nurse’s uniform must include a blue or white dress, a pinafore apron, and a traditional nurse's cap.
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Ms Anderson, who was worked as nurse on the Acute Admissions Unit at the Royal London Hospital for nearly seven years, was told her scrubs were too close to the fancy dress requirements for a doctor's uniform.
Speaking to Runner's World magazine, she said the rules are “outdated” and said she was “quite taken aback” when she found out her application had been rejected.
"Some of the nurses I work with do wear dresses, but mostly we wear scrubs or a tunic and trousers."
We're aware of the news surrounding Jessica Anderson’s attempt for the fastest marathon dressed a nurse at this year's London Marathon. We will be reviewing this record title as a priority over the coming days: https://t.co/okoyLhTFk2
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) May 4, 2019
In a statement on Saturday, GWR said it would review its policy.
"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."
Ms Anderson, who raised more than £3,100 (€3642) for her charity, said: "I'm sure Guinness World Records don't intend to cause offence, but it would be nice if they decided to revise their criteria."
You can donate to Ms Anderson's fundraising effort here.
