An NHS nurse who was denied a Guinness World Record after running the London Marathon in scrubs – and not a dress – has seen the decision overturned.
Over the weekend, GWR admitted its guidelines for the fastest marathon wearing a nurse’s uniform were “outdated” and Jessica Anderson was awarded her title on Tuesday.
The initial decision by officials not to award her the GWR was met with widespread outcry.
Anderson, who works at the Royal London Hospital, beat the previous record of 3:08:54 set by Sarah Dudgeon in 2015, completing the 26.2 mile run in 3:08:22.
According to “incorrect” GWR rules now under review, a nurse’s uniform consists of a blue or white dress, a pinafore apron, and a traditional nurse’s cap.
Anderson’s plight sparked a viral show of solidarity, with nurses tweeting their usual uniform accompanied by the hashtag #WhatNursesWear.
Anderson, who raised more than £2,200 for Barts Health NHS Trust, told Runner’s World that she was “quite taken aback” by the initial decision after she found out they had rejected her application.
“I did email them to ask them to reconsider but they said no. I get that it’s supposed to be a fun thing but their definition is just so outdated,” she said.
“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.”
The organisation said in a statement that it became “quite clear” that their guidelines for the category were “outdated, incorrect and reflected a stereotype we do not in any way wish to perpetuate”.
Samantha Fay, senior vice president at the organisation, said GWR will no longer allow fancy dress clothing for the nurse’s category and will now introduce guidelines “which reflect the clothes worn by nurses in the UK and around the world”.
“The review of this category is the first review of each one of our 200+ marathon titles we will be conducting as a priority, to ensure we do not allow any costumes which bring a profession or any other subject into disrepute,” she added.
“Any we discover will be either amended to reflect modern standards, or deactivated.”