Have Guinness World Records gone too far?

Do you remember flipping through the Guinness World Records book as a kid? Marvelling at how the world’s fastest human compares to a cheetah, or how the tallest person on Earth stood eye-to-eye with a giraffe? Back then, the records felt like a catalogue of the most incredible feats known to humankind. But lately, these records seem less about jaw-dropping achievements and more about sheer creativity—or, as some might argue, gimmicks.

Take, for instance, American running influencer Pierce Showe. He’s currently chasing the record for the most consecutive days running a half-marathon on a treadmill (125). Showe’s effort recently caught the attention of human performance experts Steve Magness and Brady Holmer, who both criticized the company for recognizing the record in the first place.

Sharing Showe’s record attempt on X, Holmer wrote: “Listen. I hate to be that guy, but I’m going to be for a moment. We’ve gotta stop with these dumb records. Three months of averaging 13 miles (21 km) a day isn’t impressive enough for any record. And it being on a treadmill doesn’t change that.”

Magness echoed Holmer: “This was called high school cross-country training for me and my friends. Calling this a Guinness World Record is embarrassing.”

Listen.

I hate to be *that* guy. But I’m going to be for a moment.

We’ve gotta stop with these dumb ass records.

3 months of averaging 13 miles a day isn’t impressive enough for any record. And it being on a treadmill doesn’t change that.

🤷🏻‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/EE1FcJ14Wd

— Brady Holmer (@B_Holmer) June 16, 2025

What are the standards?

Getting a Guinness World Record isn’t as easy as I’ve made it sound. For running records, especially novelty ones like fastest marathon dressed as a fruit or superhero, there are strict costume guidelines and requirements. In addition, there needs to be an independent witness from the company and photo or video evidence of the record itself. That’s why so many records are attempted at big-city marathons like London or Toronto: the events pay to have Guinness officials on-site and can provide certified results and evidence.

The company also maintains an enormous database of existing records, and yes, they allow people to propose new ones. But even then, roughly 60 per cent of new submissions are rejected.

Where do we draw the line?

Holmer and Magness’s opinions may come across as harsh, but their point isn’t without merit. At some point, we have to ask: what should qualify as a world record?

As a kid, I remember asking for the latest Guinness book every Christmas. I was awed by feats like the tallest person alive or the most time spent awake. These were unique and often unrepeatable achievements. Now, especially in the running world, it feels like many records are just tests of how far your imagination and tolerance can go.

That’s not to say all running Guinness World Records aren’t impressive. Running a 2:33 marathon dressed as a banana takes serious grit and training, and I certainly couldn’t do it, which is where Guinness should draw the line. A world record should feel truly out of reach for the average person. Running 21 kilometres a day for 125 straight days is undeniably a logistical and time-sucking grind. But as Holmer and Magness suggest, the performance aspect? Maybe not world-record calibre.

If everything becomes a record, does the term even mean anything?