Samson Ajao, a 27-year-old Nigerian, has shattered the Guinness World Record for the longest reading-aloud marathon.
According to a recent blog post, Ajao achieved this feat by reading aloud from approximately 100 books for an impressive 215 hours and 2 seconds.
The diverse range of books covered various subjects, including finance, sales, management, leadership, politics, health, and mental wellness.
Ajao’s remarkable endurance and focus have earned him a well-deserved place in the Guinness World Records.
The British reference book said Ajao had to “read aloud continuously from published works, with no more than a 30-second pause between items being read”.
Speaking about the attempt, Ajao said his goal is “to promote literacy development and inspire a reading culture in Nigeria”.
He also revealed he did not sleep during breaks, which is two hours daily.
Ngozi Adele, Osun house of assembly speaker, and Dipo Eluwole, the education commissioner, were among the notable persons who attended the exercise.
Ajao broke the previous record of 124 hours set by Rysbai Isakov in 2022 in Turkey. Isakov’s record followed Deepak Sharma Bajagain’s feat of 113 hr 15 min in 2008.
GWR revealed the read-aloud marathon started in 1987.
The first record holder was Adrian Hilton who read the complete works of Shakespeare in a “bard-a-thon” for 110 hr 46 min.
Ajao’s feat is now “one of the longest marathon attempts in Guinness World Records history”.
In February, Angel Osariemen, the Nigerian lady, attempted to break the longest read-aloud marathon with 200 hours.
It, however, remains unknown if she attempted the feat.
