London nurse Jane Anderson ran the London Marathon last week in a seriously impressive time of three hours, eight minutes and 32 seconds.
Anderson, a senior sister at the Royal London Hospital, completed the 26.2-mile course in her scrubs, and believed she had set a new record for the fastest time by a woman running a marathon in nurse's uniform.
Her time on the day was 22 seconds faster than the existing record of three hours, eight minutes and 54 seconds, the BBC reports.
However, Anderson was told by a Guinness World Records official that her time doesn't count as a record because she was wearing trousers.
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The official explained that for the record to count, Anderson would have needed to wear "a blue or white nurse dress, a white pinafore apron [and] a traditional white nurse's cap".
"Tights are optional," the official added, explaining that by running the marathon in her nurse's scrubs, Anderson's marathon outfit looked too similar to their interpretation of a doctor's uniform, which includes scrubs, a white coat and stethoscope.
Anderson, who ran the marathon to raise money for healthcare research organisation Bart's Charity, said that the Guinness World Records requirements are "outdated" and "reinforce gender stereotypes".
"I was quite taken aback when I read that they’d rejected my application and I did email them to ask them to reconsider but they said no," Anderson told Runner's World.
"I get that it’s supposed to be a fun thing but their definition is just so outdated. 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.
"I’m sure Guinness World Records don’t intend to cause offence but it would be nice if they decided to revise their criteria instead of reinforcing old gender stereotypes."