According to a post by GWR on Wednesday, August 28, Samson Ajao read continuously for an astonishing 215 hours and 2 seconds, surpassing the previous record.
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.https://t.co/Ipgl8bWP38
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) August 28, 2024
Ajao’s marathon session, which spanned a diverse range of topics including finance, sales, management, leadership, politics, health, and mental wellness, involved reading around 100 books. The challenge required him to read aloud with no more than a 30-second pause between each book, pushing his endurance to the limit.
In an interview, Samson Ajao shared that his primary goal was to “promote literacy development and inspire a reading culture in Nigeria.”
To achieve this, he endured the gruelling process without sleeping during his daily two-hour breaks, a testament to his dedication.
Notable Nigerian figures such as Ngozi Adele, the Speaker of the Osun House of Assembly, and Dipo Eluwole, the Education Commissioner, attended the record-setting event, lending their support to Ajao’s extraordinary effort.
Samson Ajao’s achievement eclipses the previous record of 124 hours set by Rysbai Isakov of Turkey in 2022. This record followed Deepak Sharma Bajagain’s 113-hour, 15-minute marathon in 2008.
The Guinness World Records read-aloud marathon tradition began in 1987, with Adrian Hilton initially setting the benchmark by reading the complete works of Shakespeare for 110 hours and 46 minutes in what was termed a “bard-a-thon.”
Ajao’s accomplishment now ranks among the longest marathon attempts in Guinness World Records history, solidifying his place in the annals of extraordinary feats.
In a related note, Nigerian Angel Osariemen announced plans in February to challenge the record with an attempt of 200 hours. It remains unclear if she pursued this attempt or achieved the feat.
