Beck sets unofficial Guinness Record for running 5K – on crutches
Anna Beck-Lee of Washington unofficially broke the Guinness world record for fastest time for a woman to complete a 5K run on crutches. Beck-Lee finished the March Hare 5K in Parkersburg, W.Va., in 44:20.
Anna Beck-Lee’s students at Allison Elementary School decorated her door to congratulate her for apparently breaking the Guinness record for the fastest time finishing a 5K race on crutches.
Last Sunday, Anna Beck-Lee and 276 other runners and walkers finished the March Hare 5K race in Parkersburg, W.Va.
But Beck-Lee was the only runner to complete the course on crutches.
Beck-Lee, 31, unofficially broke the Guinness world record for fastest 5K on crutches when she hopped across the finish line in 44:20, crushing the previous mark of 49:53. She also beat the men’s Guinness record time.
“I like having a goal. I can’t sit around,” said Beck-Lee, of Washington.
While her one-legged feat is impressive, Beck-Lee’s accomplishments on two legs are also notable. Beck-Lee, a social worker at Allison Park Elementary School in Chartiers-Houston School District, qualified for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 2012, and finished with a time of 2:47:26. She placed 10th at the Pittsburgh Marathon in 2009, and finished 28th at the Boston Marathon in 2011.
Her training was interrupted in 2014, when she underwent surgery to repair a navicular fracture in her foot.
“It’s an unusual injury, and there was a high probability that it wouldn’t heal on its own. My best shot to run again was to have the surgery, so they put a screw through the bone to hold it together,” said Beck-Lee. “The doctor knew my goal was the 2016 Olympic trials, and I got the clear to train again.”
Nearly one year later, though, Beck-Lee suffered a fracture in the same bone and underwent a second surgery.
The injury kept her from competing in this year’s Olympic qualifiers, so she set her sights on a different goal, the Guinness record.
“Some may think this whole thing is crazy, but when my goal of qualifying for the 2016 Olympic marathon trials was no longer an option, I was crushed and I had a choice to make: stay upset and down with the situation, or set another goal,” said Beck-Lee. “I chose the latter, which I am glad I did.”
Beck-Lee attempted to break the record when she competed in the Cupid’s Chase 5K in Pittsburgh on Jan. 13, the same day as the Olympic trials, and – hampered by a snow-covered course – crossed the finish line in 53:45.
“I think I had a good shot at the record that day if it weren’t for the weather, so I decided I wanted to take another shot at it,” said Beck-Lee.
Beck-Lee started training for the record two weeks after surgery by “crutching” at Washington School District’s track or Washington Crown Mall after work, depending on the weather (her mother, Debbie, walked with her nearly every day). She also woke up at 4:30 a.m. to run in the swimming pool at her gym and ride the stationary bike before heading to work.
“I went through several sets of handles and rubber bottoms on my crutches,” said Beck-Lee. “The toughest part of doing the 5K was that my hands hurt from gripping the handles.”
Beck-Lee’s husband, Ken, trailed behind her during her record-breaking run, videotaping the race to send to Guinness.
She submitted her application and documents for verification to Guinness, and will wait to hear if her record is officially recognized.
George Welch, a member of the River City Runners and Walkers Club, which coordinated the March Hare race, confirmed the 5K course is certified, and said the club was pleased to host the record-breaking attempt.
“It’s not something you run into all the time, someone breaking a record in a low-key race like this,” said Welch. “We’re pretty excited about it.”
Beck-Lee plans to resume training for the 2020 Olympic trials when her foot heals completely.
She hopes the record is recognized, but Beck-Lee said she won’t mind if it isn’t. Beck-Lee developed an eating disorder during her stellar high school cross country and track career, and it continued into college, costing her an athletic scholarship and her health – she developed osteoporosis that has contributed to several of her injuries. She later battled exercise addiction. The most satisfying part of her post-surgery recovery and the Guinness record attempt, Beck-Lee said, has been the opportunity to encourage others by sharing her story.
“What has been the most rewarding, as I have started sharing my running story in regard to my eating disorder, exercise addiction, injury and surgery, is the positive feedback I have received. I have been at a healthy weight for several years but I still get caught up in overexercising. I knew at some point I had to tell my story because eating disorders affect many women and men in sports,” said Beck-Lee, who said whe was embarrassed about her disorders for years. “It has been a bumpy road, but it is one that I have faced head-on and never gave up. I just want my experiences to help others and be motivational.”