Photogenic Wall Street analyst Rex Woodbury dresses for success in record run
Rex Woodbury, a 22-year-old Wall Street investment analyst, combined his passion for running with work and ran a world record in a suit.
If you see a man running the streets in Manhattan in a suit, especially near Wall Street, chances are that he’s either late for work or a business meeting. But last Sunday at the New York City Half, one young man in particular was seen in a suit for a very different reason: setting a Guinness world record. This has recently become an extra trendy record to beat among runners.
Rex Woodbury, a 22-year-old from Tuscon, Ariz. who has been working as an investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs for eight months, ran 1:18:40 for the half-marathon. That eclipses the previous official record by six minutes though a Japanese man has run 66 minutes, yet to be ratified, in a suit.
He was a runner at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. and figured since he wears a suit everyday and has a running background, the record would be well-tailored to his skills.
“It was a way to combine two of my passions — business and running — and show that it’s possible to pursue a professional career and still enjoy running and competing,” Woodbury told Outsports, an online magazine covering LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) issues. “I saw it as a fun personal challenge.”
RELATED: Menswear co-founder sets world record for half-marathon in a suit.
The official record is held by Gihan Amarasiriwardena at 1:24:41. Canadian Nicholas Mizera held the record previously at 1:35:47, a record he set at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half-Marathon in Toronto on Oct. 18.
RELATED: Guinness ratifies Canadian Calum Neff’s stroller half-marathon record.
Guinness requires photos be sent in for verification as well as the course being certified. Since Woodbury had family and friends take photos throughout, it’s likely that the record will be ratified.
Excited to announce that this morning, I was able to break the Guinness World Record for Fastest Half Marathon in a…
Posted by Rex Woodbury on Sunday, March 20, 2016
The rules for the record require runners to wear a dress shirt, tie, sport coat and pants. Running shoes are allowed to be worn in place of dress shoes making a record attempt more reasonable on the legs.
Earlier this year, Woodbury ran a 2:51 marathon, without a suit, at the TCS New York City Marathon.
Just two weeks ago, Japan’s Yuki Kawauchi ran a remarkable 1:06:42 for the half-marathon in a suit though the course was not certified meaning that the record is unofficial.
Kawauchi is a world-class runner and one of the nation’s most popular figures as a “citizen runner” for balancing his training with a full-time government job.
川内優輝選手、スーツで快走??#久喜#マラソン大会 #川内優輝 pic.twitter.com/6ZgpHYi7xw
— ぴの (@pinobubu) March 13, 2016
An interview with Woodbury following the race can be found below. The record for running a marathon in a suit is 2:58:03.
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