Bucket List: How to set a Guinness World Record
Record-breaking ice carver Richard Daly uses a blow torch on his sculpture of Old Man Winter inside the freezer of his Mastic Beach home. Credit: Marisol Diaz
Do you have a collection of more than 137 traffic cones? Can you stretch dough into a noodle that’s 10,120 feet long? How about travel 3½ miles with a guitar balanced on your chin?
If the answer is yes, you could be recognized by the Guinness World Records, which has been chronicling wild and wonderful feats from around the globe for nearly 70 years.
Record-seekers “want to show people they’re unique and they have the potential to do great things,” said Ethan Klenofsky, 25, a North Babylon resident who is hoping to break the record for the most civilian awards.
Ethan Klenofsky with one of his many accolades. Credit: Howard Simmons
If Klenofsky succeeds, he’ll join Long Islanders like Richard Daly, who in 2013 broke an ice carving record when he created 60 sculptures in two hours, 52 minutes and 12 seconds.
Setting a Guinness world record can be as doable as hugging the most trees in an hour and as difficult as carving the largest margarine statue, which took a chef in India four years of planning.
But victories can be fleeting.
“The nature of record breaking means record titles changing hands, which is why the number of currently held record titles fluctuates constantly,” Kylie Galloway, senior public relations executive for the company’s North America arm, wrote in an email.
Guinness World Records monitors 65,940 titles in more than a dozen categories, including celebrity, mass participation, fashion and gaming. Of the more than 57,415 record applications received in 2023, it approved 4,975, according to its website.
Hopefuls should first explore the available titles or create a new one, the organization suggested. Next, apply for a world-record attempt to receive the guidelines and proof needed for the title. Once you’ve broken the record (or believe you have), submit evidence. It takes up to 16 weeks for Guinness to confirm success or failure.
Klenofsky, who applied to Guinness this year, said meeting its evidence requirements can be difficult. He said he must list his awards in chronological order; submit statements from the government or group confirming they bestowed the award; provide statements from two witnesses corroborating details; and include photos of his awards.
He has amassed more than 122 awards — the current record is 103. But he was surprised to learn that the title covers awards only from national governments and federations, which would disqualify some of his.
Nonetheless, Klenofsky said he’s not giving up pursuing awards for Guinness glory: “They’re what makes me, me,” he said.
COST
It is free to apply to break an existing record, and $5 to attempt to set a record in a new title.
REQUIREMENTS
To qualify as a Guinness World Record, the achievement must meet three standards:
- Can it be measured objectively?
- Is it open to being challenged?
- Can the claim be proven?
WILD RECORDS
Here are a few of the most-unusual records ever set:
The longest head massage chain: Organized by Bajaj Almond Drops Hair Oil in India in 2017, it consisted of 578 women.
The loudest scream by a crowd: Made by a group of Scouts in Finland in 2005, it reached 127.2 decibels.
Most robots dancing at once: In 2018, 1,372 robots just under 16 inches tall set the record in Italy.
FORBIDDEN RECORDS
Records that are never recognized by Guinness include those that feature rapid alcohol consumption, harm to animals and blinking or not blinking.
