World records aplenty
Chances are, a Guinness World Record has stuck with you since you first saw an image of it in childhood – maybe the longest fingernails, or the largest living cat. Since the first book of records hit shelves in 1965, the Guinness team has been deciding what makes the cut and what does not. These days, ten adjudicators in North America alone set and send out rules and guidelines, and attend attempts in person “to make sure they’re done correctly and decide whether or not they’re successful,” Spencer Cammarano, senior records manager and adjudicator at Guinness World Records North America, tells Reader’s Digest. New records are being set all the time. “By the time we finish this call, ten records will probably be broken,” says Cammarano. Below, a look at some of her favourites from 2018 (which appeared in the 2019 edition) and 2019 (which are in the new 2020 edition).
Longest feather boa
A joint effort by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square and Madame Tussauds New York on the occasion of New York City hosting WorldPride, the winning boa was 1919.50 m long. A portion of the proceeds from attendance were donated to The Trevor Project, a non-profit focused on suicide prevention among the LGBTQ community.
Two at the Toronto Marathon
Twenty-two runners attempted to break records here on October 20, 2019. At least two of them did it.
Omar Trujillo Rosas was the fastest marathoner dressed as an Aztec (male), which he accomplished in 3 hours, 40 minutes, and 18 seconds; this record, meant to call attention to Mexican heritage, will appear in next year’s book.
And Jared Levine was the fastest marathoner dressed as a supervillain (male). He ran the race in 3 hours, 2 minutes, and 2 seconds. Says Cammarano, “He had attempted the record for fastest marathon dressed as a chef at the London marathon and fell short. He was determined to try again.”
