*insert shocked face here*
Meet 27-year-old Irene Sewell, a recruiter at a physical therapy office in Chattanooga, Tennessee, who began competitive running about three years ago.
Speaking to News Channel 9, Sewell said she started running to "regain a sense of competition and community." When she read an article on Natalie Eckert's failed 2015 attempt to beat the record for world's fastest marathon runner in high heels, things took a turn.
"She ultimately didn't get the record so I was just reading about her and I thought, man, with my dancing background and now running background it's kind of the best of both worlds," Sewell told the station.
Inspired, the runner contacted the Guinness World Records.
According to Guinness, Sewell needed to rock heels that were 2.75 inches high and 1.5 centimeters wide, and the race had to be completed within 7.5 hours. So a year before Sewell took her place in the starting line of the Volunteer State's 7 Bridges Marathon, she began to train.
"It's all a learning process — good thing I have a whole year to prepare," she wrote in an Instagram post.
And just like magic, race day arrived and Sewell, towing six different pairs of heels, CEP calf sleeves, and a knee brace, was as ready as she was ever going to be.
So did she win? Did the year-long process of training pay off? Yes. Yes, it did. Sewell ran the marathon in seven hours, 27 minutes and 53 seconds, ESPN reported.
Here's an image of Sewell crossing the finish line:
"In terms of advice, even if you're not trying to run in heels, get out and set goals," Sewell told Runner's World Tuesday. "Your mind is so much stronger than your body, so if you think you can do it and you're mentally prepared, you should be able to do it."
Though the stiletto-wearing runner did succeed, there was one small hiccup during the Sunday race — the distance was miscalculated. With the official race course.63 miles too long, Sewell counted on her friends to document the exact spot where the 26.2 miles finally came to an end.
