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Tuesday 28 October 2014

RECORD - SHORTEST WOMAN - LIVING (MOBILE)

The shortest woman living (mobile) is Jyoti Amge (India, born 16 Dec 1993), who measured 62.8 cm (24.7 in) in Nagpur, India, on 16 December 2011.



Jyoti Amge was measured at the Wockhardt Superspeciality Hospital in Nagpur India on her 18th birthday making her eligible to take over this record from Bridgette Jordan. Jyoti Amge had previously held the title for the shortest teenager (female) living.

"When I was younger I was very afraid to go out, to go to school, or to meet new people," Jyoti told Guinness World Records.



"But, my parents told me I must face the world. After turning 7 I started getting some attention from the press, which helped my confidence a lot to be recognised in a positive way for my size."

"Then since getting the record, it has really become an advantage being my size! The biggest change is that now I can travel the world and see things outside of India. I've been to Japan, Italy, and now London!"

RECORD - LARGEST WALKING ROBOT

The largest walking robot measures 15.72 m (51 ft 6 in) in length, 12.33 m (40 ft 5 in) in width, and 8.20 m (26 ft 10 in) in height. It was created by Zollner Elektronik AG (Germany) in Zandt, Germany, and eventually displayed in Berlin on 27 September 2012.



The robot - a fire-breathing dragon - is used for plays, fairs, and other reproductions, such as stories of medieval dragon-slaying.

RECORD - HIGHEST SCORE ON DONKEY KONG

On 9 November 2012, Hank Chien (USA) beat his own world record once again by achieving the highest score on Donkey Kong (Nintendo, 1981), with a total of 1,138,600 points.



In 2007, a documentary titled The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters followed the attempt by Steve Wiebe to get a world record for the highest score in Donkey Kong. He finally achieved it with over a million points but the top spot was not his for long. Countless competitors play Donkey Kong to reach that elusive high score, including Hank, who was inspired to start chasing the record after seeing the film.

Making a quick legend of himself, Hank has held the Donkey Kong high score record four times: once in 2010, again in 2011, and then breaking his own record twice in 2012.



RECORD - LONGEST BASKETBALL SHOT

The longest successful basketball shot measured 33.45 m (109 ft 9 in) by Thunder Law (USA) of the Harlem Globetrotters, at US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, on 11 November 2013.



The attempt was in celebration of Guinness World Records Day 2013. The record was attempted by three different Harlem Globetrotters players, who all shot for one hour, until "Thunder" drained his opportunity at history.

"I can't believe I broke a record on Guinness World Records Day," he said. "Awesome."




RECORD - OLDEST GYMNAST

The oldest gymnast is Johanna Quaas (b. 20 November 1925, Germany) who, at the age of 86 years, was still a regular competitor in the amateur competition Landes-Seniorenspiele, staged in Saxony, Germany. Her record was certified 12 April 2012.



She performed a floor-and-beam routine on the set of Lo Show dei Record in Rome, Italy, on that date, in the presencen of a pair of Guinness World Records adjudicators.

Landes-Seniorenspiele is an amateur competition organised biannually by the "Landessportbund Sachsen", which is the umbrella organisation of all sports clubs of the federal state of Saxonia. Johanna can still perform cartwheels at the age of 86!

As for any secrets to her success?

"My secret is a well-rounded, healthy diet," Johanna confessed. "I make sure not to eat too much or too little, and I eat plenty of greens!"

RECORD - SMALLEST MOTORCYCLE

The measurements were taken by Drs Rashila Pradhan and Prativa Pandey. Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief, Craig Glenday, adjudicated.


The micro machine has a wheelbase of 80 mm (3.14 in), a seat height of 65 mm (2.55 in), weighs 1.1 kg (2.4 lb) and is powered to a top speed of 2 km/h (1.24 mph) by its 0.22 kW (0.3 hp) engine.

RECORD - SHORTEST MAN - LIVING (MOBILE)

The shortest living man is Chandra Bahadur Dangi (Nepal) who measures 54.6 cm (21.5 in) tall as verified at CIWEC Clinic Travel Medicine Center in Lainchaur, Kathmandu, Nepal on 26 February 2012.


At the time of the verification, Chandra weighed 14.5 kg (31 lb 15.52 oz) and claimed to be 72 years old.


The measurements were taken by Drs Rashila Pradhan and Prativa Pandey. Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief, Craig Glenday, adjudicated.

RECORD - BOOM! WATCH THE WORLD’S LARGEST AERIAL FIREWORK SHELL EXPLODE DURING JAPANESE FESTIVAL

A 464.826 kg (1,024.76 lb) explosive blasted its way into the history books earlier this month in Japan, setting a record for largest aerial firework shell.



Produced by Alps Fireworks Industry Co., Ltd, the huge banger was launched during the 13th Kounosu fireworks festival organised by Kounosu Junior Chamber of Commerce in, Saitama, Japan on 11 October 2014.

The pyrotechnic exploded into a huge ball of orange light, estimated to measure more than 2,500ft, before fizzling out in a bright green hue.

It followed an equally impressive display, which saw 7,500 fireworks set off to end the annual festival.

The two-day event takes place on a hill behind a small shrine on the outskirts of Konosu. 

RECORD - LARGEST COLLECTION OF VIDEOGAME MEMORABILIA

In 1989, eight-year-old Brett Martin’s (USA) parents gave him a 4-cm (1.6-in) Mario holding a mushroom. As of October 2012, Brett has amassed a treasure trove of 8,030 items, many of which you can see at videogamemm.com

More merchandise was produced for Mario than any other character – although Link remains Brett’s personal favourite.



1. Mario himself was the hardest to find in the set of Super Mario ceramic cookie jars and banks.

2. The Ocarina of Time 3D official Link hat was imported from Greece, the only country where it was available at that time.

3. This Ocarina Link statue from E3 1997 is very fragile – few of them remain in good condition.

4. Mario Party statues originally stood on top of the arcade machines in Japan.

5. Brett found this statue in his local classified ads, which are not usually good hunting grounds!

6. Mega Man pillows were only sold online by Capcom and are rare, even in Japan.

7. The first Mario plush toy was made by Avanti in 1986. This one was imported from Japan.

8. These Legend of Zelda statues and figurines are Brett’s favourite part of his collection.

9. There are more than 300 Mario items on this shelf alone!

10. Pikmin memorabilia is popular and these items have appreciated in value the most.

11. This Mario inflatable comes from a store display, and is one of Nintendo’s earliest and rarest Mario marketing items.

12. The giant Mario store display plush at the back is even taller than 5 and is the only one Brett has ever seen for sale.

RECORD - HAS GOOGLE’S ALAN EUSTACE BEATEN FELIX BAUMGARTNER’S SKYDIVE RECORD?

Google executive Alan Eustace has reportedly broken Felix Baumgartner’s iconic world record for highest freefall parachute jump.



The 57-year-old’s attempt took place on Friday in New Mexico, with reports claiming that the search engine giant's senior vice president leapt from a large helium balloon at a height of 41,420m (135 892.3 ft) above the earth.

If verified, it would see Eustace, an experienced pilot and parachutist, surpass Austrian Baumgartner’s benchmark for the farthest distance in freefall record of 38,969.4 m (127,852 ft).




Although Eustace’s reported freefall speed of 1,300km/h would be slightly slower than
Baumgartner’s fastest speed in freefall record of 1,357.6 km/h (843.6 mi/h), he too is said to have exceeded the speed of sound, in turn setting off a small sonic boom.

Eustace’s ascent is understood to have taken two hours.

Whereas Baumgartner journey to the edge of space took place inside a pressurised capsule, Eustace made his ascent in just a spacesuit connected to his helium ballon.

Upon reaching the desired altitude, Eustace severed his connection to the balloon with a small explosive charge and fell to Earth, with his freefall reported to have lasted a total of four minutes and 27 seconds.




The record attempt was part of a project led by Paragon Space Development Corporation, which aims to develop a self-contained commercial spacesuit that would allow people to explore some 20 miles above the Earth’s surface.

Unlike Baumgartner’s high profile leap from the edge of space in 2012, the live stream of which set a record for most concurrent views for a live event on YouTube with 8million viewers, Eustace’s skydive was a much more low key affair that was kept secret until after the attempt was made.

Guinness World Records is currently in discussions with the FAI, the world governing body for air sport, in order to verify if Eustace has indeed beaten Baumgartner’s record. Stay tuned to Guinnessworldrecords.com for confirmation of the verdict.

RECORD - OLDEST PERSON EVER

The greatest fully authenticated age to which any human has ever lived is 122 years 164 days by Jeanne Louise Calment (France). Born on 21 February 1875 to Nicolas (1837 - 1931) and Marguerite (neé Gilles 1838 - 1924), Jeanne died at a nursing home in Arles, southern France on 4 August 1997.

Jeanne Calment  lived through many major events which shaped the world we live in today. These events occured in all areas of life; social, political, scientific and technological and a number within her home nation of France.

She lived through two World Wars, the development of television, the modern motor car, aeroplanes and numerous other items which are taken for granted today.

Asked on her 120th birthday what she expected of the future, she replied, "a very short one".


During Jeanne's lifetime...

Louis Blérot
Successfully crossed the English Channel on 25 July 1909, the first ever over-the-ocean crossing by a heavier-than-air craft. The cover of Le Petit Journal (8 August 1909) shows him completing his crossing over the white cliffs of Dover.

Eiffel Tower
Opened on 31 March 1889 when she was 14, as part of the Centennial Exposition to commemorate the French Revolution. It was originally viewed as a temporary structure and was to be dismantled in 1910. However, due to its usefulness in many scientific fields such as astronomy and meterology, it was saved from destruction and remianed the world's tallest building until 1930.

Louis Pasteur 
Made a wide and varied contribution to science most notably in the fields of chemistry and microbiology. Best known for the development of the pasteurization process, he also did important work with vaccines especially rabies and anthrax.

Tour de France
The world's premier cycling event was first held in July 1903. The winner was Maurice Garin, known as "le ramoneur" (the chimney sweep, his original occupation), who won with ease. he also won the following year, but was disqualified four months later for having taken a lift in a car. Now millions watch the race every summer.

World War I 
Victorious French troops marced through Strasbourg on 22 November 1918. The town was annexed by the Germans during the Franco-Prussian war (1870-71)but returned to France after the treaty of Versailles. Germany occupied the city again in the Second World War.

Vincent Van Gogh
Jeanne Calment recalls meeting the great Dutch artist in her father's shop in Arles and selling him coloured penicls although the memory is clouded by the fact that he was scruffy and smelt of alcohol. His painting Sunflowers (Les Tournesols), one of a series of seven on the subject which were painted during his stay in Arles in 1888, sold at auction on 30 March 1987 for a then world record price of £22,500,000 (exlcluding buyer's premium).


President Jacques Chirac once said she was a grandmother to everyone in France.

She led an extremely active life, taking up fencing at 85-years-old and still riding a bicycle at 100. Jean played herself at the age of 114 in the film Vincent and Me (Canada, 1990) - becoming the oldest actress to appear in a film. Her keys to long life were olive oil, port, chocolate and although she enjoyed smoking, she gave up in 1995. Her doctor put this down to her pride rather than concern for her health, as she was too blind to light up and did not want to be dependent on others. Her humour was sharp right up until her death. Her customary reply to visitors who said: “Goodbye and until next year perhaps?” would be “I don’t see why not! You don’t look so bad to me.”

Sunflowers were her favourite blooms.

Her grandfther was Antoine Calment (b. 1803)

RECORD - SHORTEST LIVING DOMESTIC CAT (HEIGHT)

The shortest cat is Lilieput, a nine-year-old female munchkin cat, who measured 13.34 cm (5.25 in) from the floor to the shoulders on 19 July 2013, and is owned by Christel Young (USA) of Napa, California, USA.


Owner Christel Young found Lilieput as a stray when she was two years old and applied to Guinness World Records via our website. "She is unique and I set out to prove that" said Christel.




Saturday 25 October 2014

RECORD - MALALA YOUSAFZAI BECOMES YOUNGEST NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER

Pakistani schoolgirl campaigner Malala Yousafzai has become the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Aged just 17 years, 2 months and 23 days, Malala was recognised on Friday for her work promoting the right for girls to have an education.

Malala won the award jointly with Indian child rights activist Kailash Satyarthi.




One of the world's most respected awards, the Nobel Peace Prize is given to people or organisations that have made outstanding achievements in different areas.

Past winners have included some of history’s best-known activists for peace, including Martin Luther King, Jr, Nelson Mandela, and Jimmy Carter.



Announcing their decision, the prize judges said about Malala: "Through her heroic struggle she has become a leading spokesperson for girls' rights to education."

She was left seriously injured two years ago after being attacked in Pakistan for her campaign work by extremist group the Taliban.


Malala, who was shot in the head during the attack which took place on a schoolbus, has recovered well after travelling to the UK for treatment.

She now goes to school in Birmingham and continues her campaigning.



Her new achievement adds to her existing world record for being the most searched-for female on the internet, after she ranked first among women in Google's "Zeitgeist" global report of the most searched-for people of 2013.

RECORD - ALLAN GANZ BREAKS RECORD FOR LONGEST CAREER AS AN ICE CREAM MAN

Everyone's familiar with the sound.

It's summertime and the sun's out. Maybe you're a kid running through the sprinkler, maybe there's a neighborhood game of kickball going on. Maybe you're just on the porch, having a chat with a friend.



Then you hear it. And like moths to a flame, you're drawn. Choco Taco? Firecracker? Chipwich? So many choices! Yes, that melody hits your ears from the truck passing on by and you know: the ice cream man has arrived.



And for 67 years, the ice cream man in the greater Boston area has been Allan Ganz. Now, he can lay claim to being the most unique of his kind in the world, having broken the record for the longest career as an ice cream man.

Allan joined his father's ice cream truck and starting selling with his dad at the age of 10 in 1947. Then, they sold in the cities of Everett and Malden, Massachusetts, each right outside Boston. Ganz continued working with his dad until he was 19. After a 22-month stint in the armed forces, he returned to selling with his dad and hasn't stopped serving since.



"My fondest memory," Allan told the Salem News, "is just being healthy enough to make these kids happy and put a smile on their face.

In 1977, Allan bought his own truck and has since relocated to the town of Peabody, about 20 miles northeast of Boston. His typical season runs from April to October, and the dedication is high.

On a regular week during the school year, Allan will leave the house at 5:30 a.m. to go pick up his ice cream orders and stock the truck twice a week, a process that can take up to 3 hours. He'll often head out to sell around 1:45 p.m. each day while local schools are in session, to be ready when students are dismissed for the day.




When school's out in the summer, Allan will hit the road at 11 a.m. and operate his route until 8:30 at night. His popularity has spawned appearances on The Food Network, numerous profiles in local media, and even a fan-created Facebook group page called Fans of Allan the Ice Cream Man, which boasts more than 1,000 members.

As a truly neighborhood institution, Allan has estimated in the past that he knows up to 90% of his customers by name and has even opened "credit" accounts where parents will give him a certain amount of money and allow their children repeat visits until that credit runs out.



Now 76 years old, Allan shows no signs of slowing down. He has to look no further than his father for continued career inspiration, as Ganz the elder sold ice cream until he turned 86.

"My father would take me by the hand to see the ice cream man," says Peabody resident Amy Lyn Blake. "My son is now a teenager and when he hears that song, he grabs his allowance and heads out to see Allan. ...Allan Ganza has been a part of my family for three generations. He will forever be 'The Ice Cream Man!'"

RECORD - RUGBY WORLD RECORDS GET RUCKING AND MAULING WITH OUR TOP 10 RUGGER-RELATED TITLES

It’s now less than a year until England and Fiji kick off the opening game of the 2015 Rugby World Cup in London.

Preparations for the tournament began in record-breaking style last month with a successful attempt at the title for Largest rugby scrum at Twickenham, the iconic stadium set to host the final.


You can read more about the super-sized scrum here, but to further get you in mood for next year’s event, check out our top ten favourite records related to the sport.

1.Largest Haka
The Stade Amédée-Domenech proved to be a pretty intimidating place to be last month when French rugby fans made a successful attempt for the largest Haka world record.




The incredible spectacle saw a total of 4,028 participants on the pitch performing the traditional Māori war cry dance in unison following the Top 14 league match between home side CA Brive Corrèze Limousin and Bordeaux.

The haka has become synonymous with rugby after New Zealand’s All Blacks team began performing the ritual before their international matches during a tour in 1888–89.



2.Fastest rugby pass
Nicknamed The Speedster for his incredible turn of pace, London Wasps star Joe Simpson showed he was no slouch when it came to delivering a pass.



The scrum half set a new record for fastest throw of a rugby ball back in 2011 when he registered a pass of an incredible 48.0mph during an event at London’s Canary Wharf.

3.Most Rugby passes in one minute (pair)
Showing similar lightning-quick handling earlier this year were former  England rugby stars Austin Healey and Ben Kay who racked up an impressive 59 passes in 60 seconds between each other.



The achievement was all the more impressive taking into account the added pressure of the attempt being televised live on BT Sports ‘Rugby Tonight TV show.

Click here to watch the attempt.

4.Most conversions in a Rugby Union international career
When it comes to kicking, few come close to the consistency of All Black’s star Dan Carter.



The fly-half notched up 257 conversions for New Zealand between 2003-2013.

5. Most drop goals in an international Rugby Union career
Similarly blessed with the boot was England’s Jonny Wilkinson.

The recently-retired former Newcastle Falcons and Toulon star scored an unmatched 36 drop kicks from 97 matches for England and the British and Irish Lions between 1998 and 2011.



6. Most international Rugby Union caps won as captain
Irish legend Brian O'Driscoll has a number of world record titles to his name, but arguably the most impressive is the 34-year-old’s tally of 84 caps won as skipper while playing for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions from 2002 to 2012.



Now retired, O'Driscoll surpassed the figure of 83 achieved by John Smit (South Africa) who played for the Springboks between 2003 and 2009, when Ireland were beaten 60-0 by New Zealand.

7. Highest catch of a football
Waltzing Welshman Gavin Henson’s fancy footwork came in handy back in 2010 as he met his match in a super-sized game of catch outside Wembley Stadium in London.




Alongside former Arsenal football star David Seaman, the pair both caught balls travelling at terminal velocity from a record-breaking drop of 102.5m from the top of a crane.

8. Fastest time to score a try in a rugby union match

The fastest recorded try in a rugby union match was scored after 7.24 seconds by Tyson Lewis (UK) for Doncaster Knights Rugby Union Football Club versus Old Albanians at Wollam Playing Fields, St Albans, UK back in November last year.



The record breaking moment took place   during a NCA Rugby National 1 League game in England, with winger Lewis scoring direct from kick off after racing onto the ball after it had bounced over the head of an Old Albanians player.

9. Most tries in Rugby Union international career

Former Japanese rugby union player Daisuke Ohata is the world’s highest try scorer in international rugby, having scored 58 times for his country between 1996-2006.

Click below to watch what many regard as his finest moment on the field, a sensational full field try scored against Scotland during a rugby Sevens match in 1999.




10. Largest attendance at a Rugby Union match

Often described as "The Greatest Game of Rugby Ever Played", 109,874 paying fans turned out at Stadium Australia, Sydney to see New Zealand beat the home side 39-35 in July, 2000.



RECORD - FAN CHOICE OCTOBER 24 - VOTE NOW

Well, Andrew Frakes had no trouble finding the green in last week's Fan Choice. His record for the most golf balls hit over 300 yards in one hour handled the competition and earned him a relatively easy victory, with 66.36% of the vote.



Andrew averaged nearly 7.5 of those monster drives per minute, to end up with a total of 448 and the record.

Every Friday here, we pick five records recently approved by our expert Records Management Team. We'll give you a little background on each and then ask you to vote for your favorite. The winners from each week, like Andrew, will be entered into an end-of-year bracket to determine the Fan Choice record of the year.


This week's list of nominees vying for your vote include a lot of big groups doing big things, but first, a single man on a mission.

LARGEST HAND-DRAWN MAZE




Record: 15.2 m (49 ft 10.42 in) long and 1.126 m (3 ft 8.33 in) wide

Holder: David A. Book (USA)

Location: Convington, Washington, USA

That's not all: David created and displayed his maze at the Convington Library, after having spent 6 hours a day working on it for five straight days. The maze is completely solvable, as David proved by completing it after he created it. Having started drawing mazes at age 7, David even took five days of vacation off of work to create this one!

LARGEST GATHERING OF PEOPLE DRESSED AS DOGS




Record: 264 participants

Holder: Thistley Hough Academy (UK)

Location: Penkhull, Stoke on Trent, UK

That's not all: Earlier in the year, the principal of Thistley Hough dressed up as Cruella de Vil for World Book Day. This prompted one student to ask if the students could all dress up as dalmations for another occasion, and thus a record-breaking idea was born.

MOST PARTICIPANTS IN A BLEEP TEST



Record: 575 participants

Holder: King George V School (Hong Kong)

Location: Hong Kong, China

That's not all: No, we're not cursing - a bleep test is a pretty grueling test of physical endurance and stamina. So much so, in fact, that 587 participants started the test, but 12 could not make it to the required fifth level to qualify for the record.

MOST PEOPLE SHOWERING SIMULTANEOUSLY





Record: 300

Holder: 12Plus Shower Cream (Thailand)

Location: Dor-Shada Resort, Pattaya, Thailand

That's not all: 12Plus used the event as a way to promote its product ahead of the hot Thailand summer, creating this 6-minute shower as a central event in its "12Plus Shower Sexy Party Break World Record" celebration on Pattaya's beach.

MOST PEOPLE PERFORMING CARTWHEELS




Record: 690

Holder: CONSOL Energy Center and USA Gymnastics (USA)

Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

That's not all: After reaching out to 14 Pittsburgh area gymnastics schools, CONSOL and USA Gymnastics had plenty of willing volunteers to attempt this record on the city's iconic Roberto Clemente Bridge. Plus, they were joined by 2012 U.S. Olympic gold-medal gymnast Gabby Douglas! The clubs involved were: All Star Athletics, Arcadia Gym, Falcon Gymnastics, Gym Dandy's, Gymkhana, Gymspot, Jewarts, Monaca Turners, Perfect 10 Gym, Premier Gym, Trinity, Ultimate Gym, Xcel Gymnastics, and Gemini Gym + Dance.

Then check back here next week to see who you've helped crown the latest fan favorite!

Friday 24 October 2014

RECORD - MEET IAN O'BRIEN - OWNER OF THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF DOCTOR WHO MEMORABILIA

With over 1,500 separate pieces of out of this world merchandise, Ian O’Brien has the largest collection of Doctor Who memorabilia, earning him a place in the Guinness World Records 2015 edition.

Ian, from Manchester, UK, says he first caught the Whovian bug after watching Planet of the Daleks  - an episode from 1974 and recalls being captivated watching the Daleks trying to bash down a barricade with their plungers.

He kicked off his collection soon afterwards, starting with a yellow Louis Marx toy Dalek.

As of the 6th September last year, Ian's record-breaking collection consisted of 1,573 Doctor Who items, although Ian says his sci-fi treasure trove has since increased by "another hundred or so."

His most prized possession both in terms of value and sentimental value remains a Selcol Nursery Dalek from 1965 bought by his parents for his 5th birthday.



Ian adds to his collection mainly through eBay, although is constantly on the look out for a deal.

Asked if he has any tips for those looking to start a collection like his, Ian says its pays to bide your time.

"Be patient," he explains, "If you're after something shop around for it, especially this time of year stores are doing different promotions.

"If it's an old item and you're looking on eBay and you come across it, have an idea as to what you would really like to pay for it, see if anything on there is in your price range”



"If it's not, don't worry, it may turn up again. You may have to wait a while but can get good bargains if you search around".

Despite having the world’s largest Dr Who collection, there remains two pieces of Timelord memorabilia that have so far eluded Ian that he is desperate to find.

“There’s a 1971 Jon Petwee Doctor Who annual that I would love to get my hands on, and a Denys Fisher Dalek from 1977", he reveals.



When asked what he thinks of the 12th and latest actor to play the Doctor, Ian gives his seal of approval to the early adventures involving Peter Capaldi.

“He’s brilliant - unpredictable, totally alien - I think this series is the best it has been in a long time.”

RECORD - SEVEN RUNNERS AIMING TO BREAK WORLD RECORDS AT SCOTIABANK TORONTO WATERFRONT MARATHON

The streets of Toronto will see some epic battles waged this weekend. Superman vs. the Flash. A runner in lederhosen against chafing. And, most importantly, the battle against the clock.



It's that time of the year, the return of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (STWM), and the race's fourth annual partnerhip with Guinness World Records. Much like GWR's relationship with the Virgin London Marathon, an official adjudicator will be on-site at the race to verify on the spot whether or not the seven pre-registered record applicants were successful in their attempts at glory.

This year's race features seven total competitors across both the full and half marathon events, and the attempts are wide-ranging. Here's a quick look at all those participating on Sunday, many of whom are racing for a cause.

Michal Kapral: fastest half marathon juggling three objects



Already the owner of the fastest marathon (2 hr 50 min 12 sec) and fastest 10K (36 min 27 sec) "joggling" with three objects, the 42-year-old Toronto father of two is looking for a career triple crown with a half marathon record this year.

Time to beat: 1 hr 15 min

In his own words: "As a kid, I used to flip through the Guinness Book of World Records trying to find records that I could break. When I was about 11, I read that there was a record for joggling, a combination of jogging and juggling. The guy in the book had run an entire marathon while joggling, which I thought was the most amazing feat. "

Charity: People to People

Stéphane Hetherington: fastest half marathon as a superhero



Well isn't this fitting. Already having broken the record for the fastest full marathon dressed as a superhero (2 hr 33 min 58 sec at the SWTM in 2012), Stéphane is bringing his trademark costume of The Flash to the half marathon portion of the race, hoping for a repeat of his success from two years ago.

Time to beat: 1 hr 30 min

In his own words: "I’ve run five marathons, two in costume. This will be my first half marathon. I prepare by running about 100 km (62 mi) per week, plus some other fun stuff!"

Charity: Hands Across the Nations

John Scott Clarke: fastest half marathon as a superhero



And who more appropriate for The Flash to try and beat for a record than the Man of Steel. John will be dressed as Superman as he and Stéphane battle out for superhero half marathon supremacy. At age 6, John suffered from such debilitating pain in his legs that he couldn't walk. Now, he's racing to raise money for the hospital that treated him as a child and allowed him to run marathons today.

Time to beat: 1 hr 30 min

In his own words: "My family called me their little Superman - 30 years later, I am now 36 years old and want to pay it forward for the hospital that did so much for me then, that I am now able to run a record-setting half marathon, when 30 years ago I couldn't even walk."

Charity: Toronto Sick Kids Hospital

Lindsay Santagato: fastest marathon in firefighter's uniform



In this, her third marathon, Lindsay has upped the stakes by going for her first career record. A graduate of the Ontario Fire Academy and current volunteer firefighter, the 21-year-old will don full gear while running for the Canadian Liver Foundation.

Time to beat: 6 hr 30 min

In her own words: "I chose CLF because my brother passed away from liver and kidney failure. I am running this marathon for him."

Charity: Canadian Liver Foundation

Jeremiah Sacay: fastest marathon in a baseball uniform




This 26-year-old registered nurse from Toronto is running in his third STWM, attempting his first record, and has endured training six days a week while still working a part-time job at nearby Mt. Sinai Hospital.

Time to beat: 4 hours

In his own words: "I am attempting a [record] because I found out regular people like me can go through with setting a record in their home city or country."

Charity: N/A

Günther Go: fastest marathon wearing lederhosen



Günther Go is the preferred pseudonym of the man hoping to bring a little national pride to the STWM. Originally from Austria, Günther will certainly be one of the more unique looking and easily spottable competitors on race day.

Time to beat: 4 hours

In his own words: I do not mind if you laugh, stare or point at me but please give generously for The Children's Aid Foundation. I want to help individuals who cannot help themselves.

Charity: Children's Aid Foundation

Bridget Burns: fastest marathon dressed as a zookeeper



This is Bridget's sixth marathon, but would be her second record. She ran the GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon earlier this year in 3 hr 52 min 27 in full boxing gear. For this record, she'll need to be dressed in khaki zookeeper shirt and trousers/shorts, a brown belt, safari hat, and carrying at least one stuffed animal for the whole race.

Time to beat: 4 hr 30 min

In her own words: "I enjoy challenging myself to tests and not allowing fear or pain to conquer me. There are many runners surrounding you, but you are racing against yourself, your own fears, your own battles and self doubt."

Charity: Friends of High Park Zoo

Make sure to follow Guinness World Records on Twitter @gwr on race day to keep up with all the results and to see if your favorite runner broke their record!

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