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Climbing the seven summits (the highest mountains of each of the seven continents) is a huge accomplishment for anyone of any age, but completing this extremely difficult fitness challenge at the age of 73 is doubly impressive. Roman Blanco began his climbing challenge when he was 42 years old by climbing Aconcagua. However, he went on to climb all six other mountains – including Everest – following his 60th birthday. Roman finally completed his challenge at the age of 73 years, 357 days, proving that you are never too old to reach your goals.
Youngest person to complete a marathon on all continents
Tim Harris achieved a Guinness World Record in 2007 for becoming the youngest person to run a marathon on all seven continents. Tim, 23, completed this impressive feat in just 95 days, starting his challenge in Argentina before moving on to marathons in New Zealand; Palermo, Italy; Seattle, USA; Singapore; Marrakech, Morocco; and Antarctica. Despite facing a 5,000 foot climb, snow, wild dogs and illness along the way, Tim completed his challenge on 12th December 2006 – before celebrating with a 100K race across Antarctica, just for fun!
World’s largest salad
In 2010, residents of the island Crete, in Greece, entered the Guinness Book of World Records when 500 volunteers created the world’s largest Greek salad, which weighed in at a massive 13 417 kg – beating the previous record of 10 260 kg. The salad, which contained almost 7 000 kg of tomatoes, 3 000 kg of cucumbers and 800 kg of Feta cheese, was created to raise awareness for the local trade and area, and was contributed to by local farmers and their families.
Heaviest aircraft pulled by a man
If you thought lifting weights at the gym was tough, imagine pulling the weight of a 416,299 lb aircraft several metres across the ground! This is exactly what Kevin Fast accomplished in 2009 when the Reverend Doctor broke a world record by pulling a CC-177 Globemaster III a distance of 8.8 metres across the Canadian Forces Base in Ontario, using a home-made harness. This is just one of thirteen world records currently held by Kevin, who also broke records for the heaviest house pulled by an individual and the heaviest vehicle pulled with an arm wrestling move.
Longest time spent laughing
Ethiopian Belachew Girma claims to hold a Guinness World Record for laughing nonstop for a total of three hours and six minutes. While it may seem like an unusual achievement, Belachew has a serious goal behind his record. In a country where there is often little to laugh about – and where Belachew himself has lost two wives to HIV and businesses to fire and flooding – Belachew’s aim is to help minimise stress and pain and promote healing through laughter. The world record holder has now set up what he believes to be the first laughter class in Africa to further his cause.
Most marathons run in a calendar year
Running a marathon is a huge achievement, but if running one marathon a year is no longer a challenge for you why not go for a world record? The most marathons run in one year currently stands at a truly impressive 106 races. IM Chae Ho broke the male world record by completing his 106 marathons in 2009 at the age of 59 (a record later matched by 67 year old R. Laurence Macon), while Yolanda Holder broke the female record by completing 106 marathons in 2010.
Longest bouncy castle marathon
It may not seem the most obvious fitness challenge, but bouncing on a bouncy castle is not as easy as it looks – especially when done for 26 hours at a time! In March 2011, as part of the fourth birthday celebrations for Hero’s the Party Experience in Ohio, five members of staff set themselves a challenge of beating the record for the longest time spent bouncing on a bouncy castle. After a night and day of bouncing they succeeded in setting a new record of 26 hours, scoring themselves a place in the Guinness Book of Records as well as raising money for Diabetes Youth Services.
Fastest mile on a space hopper
When it comes to breaking unusual records, Ashrita Furman has it covered. The New Yorker has set more than 300 world records and currently holds the record for the most current Guinness World Records held at the same time by an individual. Specialising in taking childhood activities to the extreme, in 2010 Ashrita broke the record for fastest mile on a space hopper in 13 minutes flat. Some of Ashrita’s other records include fastest time to hula hoop 10 km, fastest one mile sack race, fastest mile piggy back race and fastest mile on a pogo stick whilst juggling three balls.
Longest kiss
Kissing has a wealth of health benefits; it can lower stress hormones, produce endorphins and even burn off calories. All this may come as good news to Ekkachai and Laksanka Tiranarat, who locked lips for two days to break a kissing record. The Thai couple took part in a contest organised by Louis Tussaud's Waxworks in Pattaya, Thailand, where couples were required to continually kiss with no sleeping or sitting permitted. The husband and wife team were eventually announced the winners for their kiss, which lasted 46 hours and 24 minutes.
World’s oldest person
Most of us would class getting into our 90s as a long life span, yet Jeanne Louise Calment far surpassed this by living a total of 122 years and 164 days – the oldest verified age of any human being ever. Jeanne – who lived on her own until shortly before her 110th birthday, took up fencing at the age of 85 and rode her bicycle up until the age of 100 – was believed to be in good health right up until she died in 1997. Jeanne put her good health down to olive oil, which she used on her food as well as rubbing it into her skin, and her diet of nearly one kilogram of chocolate a week – although she was also renowned for her active lifestyle and unflappable nature.
