A Nigerian man, Samson Ajao, has etched his name in reading history by breaking the world record for reading aloud for 215 hours.
The GWR made this known in an article published on its website on Wednesday. In it, they disclosed that Ajao read over 100 books in total, covering subjects such as finance, sales, management, leadership, politics, health, and mental wellness.
It would be recalled that the Osun-born celebrated setting a new record of 215 hours with his friends and supporters.
According to GWR, Rysbai Isakov of Kyrgyzstan set the previous record of 124 hours in 2022, but Samson shattered this record by reading for almost nine full days.
The article read, “27-year-old Samson Ajao from Osogbo, Nigeria, has performed the world’s longest marathon reading aloud, clocking in at 215 hours—just one hour short of nine full days.
“To achieve this record, the challenger must read aloud continuously from published works, with no more than a 30-second pause between items being read.
“As per our rules for all ‘longest marathon’ records, Samson accumulated five minutes of rest time after each hour of reading, totalling two hours per day. Only during these breaks could he eat, sleep, use the bathroom, or change his clothes.”
Before embarking on the feat, Ajoa disclosed in a recent interview that he sought advice from medical professionals on which foods and drinks would preserve his voice and minimise the number of toilet breaks he would need.
He added that he attempted the record-breaking venture to promote literacy development and “inspire a reading culture in Nigeria.”
“After completing the ‘read-a-thon,’ Samson and his supporters paraded through the streets in celebration.
“Among the revellers were Samson’s parents, who both expressed pride in their son’s accomplishment,” GWR added.
Various dignitaries, including Osun State House of Assembly Speaker Ngozi Adeleke and Education Commissioner Dipo Eluwole witnessed his record attempt.
Highlighting the history of the longest reading-aloud marathons, GWR stated that the “record has a rich history, dating back to 1987 when Englishman Adrian Hilton recited the complete works of Shakespeare in a ‘bard-a-thon’ lasting 110 hours and 46 minutes.”
This feat was later surpassed by Nepal’s Deepak Sharma Bajagain in 2008, who achieved a remarkable 113 hours and 15 minutes.
Rysbai Isakov, however, raised the bar, improving upon Bajagain’s record by almost 11 hours.
“Samson’s record now dwarfs these remarkable feats,” GWR said.
“Not only is it the world’s longest marathon reading aloud, but it is one of the longest marathon record attempts in Guinness World Records history, surpassed in recent times only by DJ Faber Moreira’s 10-day DJ-ing marathon.”