How to Get into the Guinness Book of World Records

Are you sitting around thinking of ideas to get you into the Guinness Book of World Records? Before you get carried away, there are a few steps you need to take before you attempt your world record. The first step is to choose to either set a new record or to break an existing record. The easiest way would be to break an existing record. You want to avoid new record attempts unless you can prove it is the heaviest, fastest or tallest. It has to be a breakable record.

Once you have decided on the record you want to break, you then need to contact the Guinness Book of World Records before actually having a go at the record. This is so they can send you the guidelines that the current record holder followed. To get the guidelines, simply go to http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com and click on "Break a record". Follow the directions and make sure, if this is an original record endeavor, you give as much detail as possible. Guinness World Records researches all applications before accepting or declining any record proposals. For this reason the approval process takes weeks and sometimes months to complete. For those impatient types who have a little money burning a hole in their wallet or bank account, Guinness World Records offers a Fast Track process. The Fast Track process can get your approval within 3 days time and gives you priority review of your application. The cost for the Fast Track will set you back $653.92.

When your application has been approved and Guinness World Records has sent you the guidelines for your record, you can then make an effort at your world record. The guidelines will give you all the details you need to follow. Most guidelines will suggest/require you to video or take pictures and have at least two independent written witness statements. You also have the option of having a trained adjudicator at your event. The advantage of having a trained adjudicator is that they can give instant verification of your record and present you with your official certificate and get media coverage of your event. Be prepared to again pay some money for this adjudicator.

Now gather all your evidence and submit it to Guinness World Records unless you have an adjudicator present. Expect to wait a few months while the researchers at Guinness World Records assess it and make sure all the guidelines were followed. If you are successful in your attempt you will receive your certificate in the mail.

All of this can be done for free (except the Fast Track and adjudicator) but remember that Guinness World Records receives about 50,000 applications a year, only 4,000 are accepted and only 2,000 actually make it into the book. I have given you the "how", now you have to supply the "do".

References: Guinness World Records http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com