Regis and Kelly Host High Heel Race

It wasn't your typical New York City Marathon.

New York's Central Park is the finish line for the famous marathon every November. But on Wednesday morning in the sweltering July heat, hundreds ran a grueling marathon of their own — in high heels.

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The women — and a few intrepid men — were gathered for the first "Live with Regis and Kelly" High Heel-A-Thon to raise money for the March of Dimes, which is dedicated to preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

In announcing the event, Ripa said that "completing 26.2 miles in running shoes is nothing — try spending a full day running errands, taking the kids to school and shopping, all in 4-inch heels. Our 'High Heel-A-Thon' is a way of showcasing a unique unsung talent for which most women are never recognized."

Lined up across the starting line of the 150-yard course were rows of heels (required to be three inches or higher), ranging from black slingbacks to red peep toes and even a pair of silver sneaker-like pumps.

While Regis Philbin, dressed in a pink polo shirt, didn't participate in the sprint, he was there to cheer on co-host Kelly Ripa. Ripa chose a pair of black leather heels for the race, and joked with the crowd that she was the favorite to win.

At the starting horn, the racers were off, led by Ripa and trailed by two women patiently helping a man teeter down to the finish line on his unfamiliar heels.

The winner, Chioma Aduba of Queens, N.Y., received a $25,000 cash prize, while the second and third place finishers, Ida Bernstein of Hunt Valley, Md. and Ardith Johnson of Brooklyn, N.Y., received $5,000 and $2,500 respectively.