Congratulations!

Yes! Yet another person I've been able to mentor through the process with Guinness that was able to do the work to get a world record.

In the wake of Missy successfully pacing me and taking the needed documentary photos for my record attempt in Boston (for which I'm still awaiting communication from Guinness), she decided to take the leap and make an attempt of her own: fastest marathon run dressed in a qipao (female). A qipao is a traditional Chinese dress. And, as you can see, they are rather restrictive. So, attempting to run, let alone a marathon dressed in one, is no small feat.

Turns out she wasn't the only one in Sydney who was attempting this record. In fact, there were THREE women who were trying for the record. Her she is with one of the other two women vying for it. Two things that she was definitely pleased with (and rightfully so): 1) when comparing their respective race paces, hers was the fastest of all three, and 2) her additional tweaks to the costume made the full ensemble even more appropriate, as opposed to having some of the extra runner-specific add-ons (e.g., gloves, sleeves, non-covered sneakers -- zoom in on what she did to the sneakers).

Sydney had fabulous weather (about 50F at the start). And, despite the very hilly course (the most difficult of all of the majors, IMO), she crushed it! She finished in a time of 3:51:27 -- her seventh star. As she crossed the line, she would have gotten the most welcome signal she's likely ever gotten on a marathon course: a thumb's up, indicating that she was officially a Guinness World Record holder.

Congratulations on a very well- and hard-earned feat! Keep your eye out for the 2026 (possibly 2027) book to see if you're actually published there. (They don't make any guarantees, and there are far too many set every year to publish EVERYONE's record each year.)