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Paris Marathon runner breaks record running in high heels

By Ben Hooper
A competitor in Sunday's Paris Marathon broke a world record when she completed the race in high heeled shoes. Photo by Julien De Rosa/EPA-EFE
A competitor in Sunday's Paris Marathon broke a world record when she completed the race in high heeled shoes. Photo by Julien De Rosa/EPA-EFE

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April 16 (UPI) -- A French woman broke a world record for running a marathon in high heels when she finished the Paris Marathon with a time of 6:04:07.

Christelle Doyhambehere, 34, of Pau, smashed the record previously set at the Chattanooga, Tenn., marathon by U.S. woman Irene Sewell, who ran the 26.2 miles in 7:27:53.

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Doyhambehere said her accomplishment was inspired by her partner, who joked she should try to run a marathon in her heels after watching her sprint to the car in the rain about a year ago.

Sewell said she trained in tennis shoes during the day and ran in her heels at night to prevent photos of her unusual footwear choice from going viral on social media before the marathon.

The runner, whose accomplishment raised funds for children's charity Koala, said she has submitted evidence of her run to Guinness World Records.

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