A controversial feet! Twitter gives Guinness a kicking after they gave World Record for ‘fastest marathon dressed as a shoe’ to man who wore a FLIP-FLOP outfit
- Paul B ran the marathon in a giant blue trainer that arched over his head
- Charlie Field crossed the finish line dressed as a flip flop with a time of 3.41 hours
- Despite being dressed as sandal he was awarded ‘fastest time dressed as a shoe’
A marathon runner who wore a giant green shoe which arched over his head lost the world record to a flimsy flip flop ‘pinafore’- and Twitter is outraged.
Paul B, whose surname is unknown, ran the London marathon on Sunday after months of intense training in an attempt to beat the Guinness World Record for fastest marathon dressed as a shoe (male).
Hoping to cross the line in under four hours and 14 minutes Paul missed out when Charlie Field finished the race in three hours 35 minutes – wearing a flip flop outfit that has been likened to a ‘pinafore’.
Paul B, whose surname is unknown, ran the London marathon on Sunday after months of intense training in an attempt to beat the Guinness World Record for fastest marathon dressed as a shoe (male)
Furious Twitter users were quick to slam the decision to award Mr Field the world record despite a flip flop being being defined as a sandal and not a shoe.
And Paul, known as Paul B Brogue Runner on Twitter, will be appealing the decision as he says there were strict rules when he was applying to attempt the record.
He tweeted: ‘So regrettably I did not get the world record for fastest man dressed as shoe!
Hoping to cross the line in under four hours and 14 minutes Paul missed out when Charlie Field finished the race in three hours 35 minutes – wearing a flip flop outfit that has been likened to a ‘pinafore’
‘I will have to contest this as your costume stipulations confirm it has to be a shoe, covering your head, and also encased in it…….this is neither.’
And others quickly leapt to the charity athletes defence as they agreed a flip flop could not be placed in the same category as a shoe.
Amanda Rich tweeted: ‘That’s not a shoe! A tunic maybe? Brogue_runner is wearing an actual shoe!!! Please sort GWR!!!!!’
Furious Twitter users were quick to slam the decision to award Mr Field the world record despite a flip flop being being defined as a sandal and not a shoe
Responding to the Guinness World Records tweet announcing the record breaker for the category fastest marathon dressed as a shoe Ben Richardson tweeted: ‘Well done for your achievement Charlie but let’s be honest – that’s not a shoe….brogue runner deserves the record for running as an actual shoe…please reconsider GWR…am sure Norris McWhirter would turn in his grave about this…’
Norris McWhirter is the founder of the Guinness Book of Records.
Paul, known as Paul B Brogue Runner on Twitter, will be appealing the decision as he says there were strict rules when he was applying to attempt the record
Others quickly leapt to the charity athletes defence as they agreed a flip flop could not be placed in the same category as a shoe
Another tweet read: ‘Woah there’s no way you can do this. Beggars belief! It’s pretty obvious the difference, and gonna be a damn sight easier for someone to run in effectively what is a pinafore dress than an actual costume, that actually is a giant shoe!’
According to the Oxford English dictionary a shoe is defined as ‘an outer covering for the human foot, normally made of leather (but often of other materials) and consisting of a more or less stiff sole and a lighter upper part.’
Paul claims there were strict guidelines for what counted as a shoe which led to him copying the previous record holder’s costume design
But a flip flip is defined as ‘a plastic or rubber sandal consisting of a flat sole and straps.’
And Paul claims there were strict guidelines for what counted as a shoe which led to him copying the previous record holder’s costume design.
He tweeted: ‘@GWR looking forward to the appeal process to begin, this flip flop is NOT a shoe. Let’s get this sorted!’