One participant at this Sunday's Hotlanta Half-Marathon will trade in his running shoes for a pair of dress shoes, in an attempt to earn recognition from the Guiness World Records.
Wolf & Shepherd, a men's dress shoe company which uses running shoe technology, has recruited former NCAA cross-country champion Juris Silenieks to become the fastest man to run a half-marathon wearing a pair of formal footwear.
And Silenieks is confident he can do it.
"I just came off a pretty good track season at Syracuse," he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I’m still fit from there. I think my chances are pretty good."
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But Guinness will be the ultimate decider. Schneider and Wolf & Shepherd are waiting for the organization to sign off on their idea. Upon approval, they'll need two officiants and a videographer onsite to witness and track Silenieks' time during the race.
If Guinness greenlights the final submission, they'll officially become history makers. And if they don't, they'll just try again at half-marathons in Cleveland or Pittsburgh, company founder Justin Schneider told the AJC.
"Either way, this is something to be proud of," Schneider said.
The Hotlanta Half-Marathon starts at 7 a.m. Sunday at the World of Coca-Cola, 121 Baker St. NW, in Atlanta.
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