Duo breaks world record for fastest marathon pushing a wheelchair
A California pair broke the Guinness World Record, completing the 26.2-mile distance in 2:35:26.
LEARN MOREPosted: 9:39 a.m. EDT Jul 3, 2023
Neely Gracey said she wanted to prove something to fellow moms, which is why she just ran what might be considered the fastest mile even run while pushing a stroller.
On Friday at a track in Colorado, Gracey covered the 1-mile distance in 5 minutes and 24 seconds, beating the Guinness World Record by 33 seconds. That record was set last year by Sally Onn in Blagnac, France.
Gracey, 33, is an accomplished runner, finishing as the top female American at the Boston Marathon in 2016. It was her first time running a marathon. She also finished second in the 2017 U.S. half-marathon championship.
After giving birth to two children, she has gotten back into competing at a high level. In February, she won the Disney Princess Half Marathon with a time of 1:15:55.
After strapping her son in a stroller, she took four loops around the track to complete the distance in record time.
She said she made this a goal because of her "belief that having kids doesn’t have to hold you back from a healthy and active lifestyle. There’s no better way to instill this in your children than by including them."
"It brings me so much joy to have the chance to share this phase of my life on a bigger platform," she added.
Gracey is not the only mom accomplishing major feats. On Saturday, Keira D'Amato ran the fastest half-marathon ever by a female American, finishing the Asics Half Marathon on Saturday in 1:06:13. Her run beat Emily Sisson's record by 13 seconds.
Gracey's world record comes weeks after Danish elite runner Jacob Simonsen ran the Aarhus City Half Marathon in 1:08:04 while pushing a stroller. If confirmed, it would set the new record by 26 seconds.
