All you need to know about the Guinness World Records, its criteria, and procedure

Lois Ugbede

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Many Nigerians have become motivated to break a Guinness World Record (GWR) following Hilda Bassey’s feat of cooking for 100 hours straight.

The 27-year-old chef, popularly called Hilda Baci, or the Nigerian Jollof Queen, broke the old record of 87 hours and 45 minutes held by Chef Lata Tondon in 2019.

Following this, many Nigerians have wondered why Ms Bassey is yet to be officially recognised as the new record holder by the record organisation.

This article will help you understand the GWR and the process of earning a title. So before taking on any challenge to break any world record, read this article so your effort is noticed.

What is the Guinness World Record (GWR)?

The Guinness World Record, known as The Guinness Book of Records when it started in 1955, is a British reference book published annually. It contains a list of world records of human achievements and the extremes of the natural world.

As of the 2022 edition, it is in its 67th year of publication, with publications in 100 countries and 23 languages, maintaining 65,000 records in its database. This has extended beyond print to include television series and museums. It has become so popular that it has resulted in the Guinness World Records, now the primary international source for cataloguing and verifying world records.

What is the GWR Process?

The GWR says record-breaking is a serious business, so the organisation has strict policies governing what constitutes a Guinness World Records title to maintain these high standards. This process is as follows;

Explore

Start by reviewing the information available in the GWR section on the website. In this section, you can find everything from what makes a Guinness World Records title, existing records, how to apply, and why applications are rejected.

Application

The first step is to apply to break a record either as an individual or an organisation. For organisations, there is a Consultancy Services route you must follow.

This route involves a dedicated account manager who will guide you through the application process.

For individuals;

Register or login if you already have an account. An account activation link will be sent to your email for new registration. Follow the link, and it will take you to a dashboard page.
Click the green “Apply for a record” button on that page.
Search for the record that you want to break.

When you find the record, click the “Apply Now” button to proceed, but if you cannot find the record, you can apply for a new one by clicking “Apply for a new record”.

NOTE: Any new record must be measurable, breakable, standardisable, verifiable, and based on one variable. The new record title suggestions involve a non-refundable administration fee of £5/$5 (+VAT).

After selecting the record you wish to break, you will be taken to an online application form to fill out.
Complete and submit the form. When filling in the form, you can choose if you want to purchase a priority application, meaning you will receive your guidelines in five working days, which attracts charges or the standard application, which will take up to 12 weeks to receive your guidelines and sometimes longer if there is a high demand.
If your application is accepted, you will receive the record guidelines and next steps.

Study Guidelines

Once your application is accepted, you will receive a document called “the guide to your evidence”. This document will explain how your effort will be verified, so it is thus important to study it properly and ensure you understand what is required.

Practice

You need to practice the task you are about to embark on until you are confident you can beat the world record or meet the minimum requirement in the case of a new record.

Attempt

Decide on a date, time, and location, and all the necessary equipment or logistics plans are in place. This includes a photo and videographer who will document your attempt.

You must also arrange for independent witnesses and experts in the related field to be present.

Submit Evidence

Upload and submit your evidence with a cover letter and all the necessary documents online if you are sure it meets the criteria given to you and wait. The Records Management Team will review your application and get back to you. This process can take up to 12 weeks.