French runner completes two-hour half marathon in stilts

Over the last few weeks, we’ve witnessed some runners pull off incredible things while wearing unusual footwear–though what this French runner did at Sunday’s Paris Half Marathon takes the cake. Philippe Graciette of Pau, France, completed the half marathon in exactly two hours while running on five-foot wooden stilts.

The 54-year-old gym teacher completed the half-marathon in 2:00:40, averaging a pace of five minutes and 43 seconds per kilometre while standing an extra four feet off the ground.

Graciette was dressed in a Where’s Waldo? costume and had a sign attached to his back reading “Where’s Charlie? For dummies.” Usually looking for Waldo is difficult, but the stilts make him stand out.

What’s even more remarkable is that Graciette finished in 27,928th place out of more than 45,000 runners. We aren’t sure what World Athletics competition rules are around wooden stilts—either way, his result is impressive.

There does not appear to be a Guinness world record for the fastest half marathon on stilts, but Graciette could likely have achieved it, if he cared to document the event and submit it. If he chooses to move up to the marathon on stilts (he has run at least a couple in regular running shoes), we think he has a shot at the stilts marathon record of 6:37:38 from the 2018 London Marathon (held by Michelle Frost of the U.K.).

posted Wednesday March 8th
by Marley Dickinson