Who are GWR cookathon record holders since 2014? As Nigerian chef, Tope Maggie, exceeds 121 hrs?
Femi OGUNLANA
Temitope Ayodeji Adebayo popularly called Tope Maggie a Nigerian chef from Ogbomoso in Oyo state has surpassed the 121 hours 30 minutes mark in his cooking marathon challenge which he clocked 8:03 pm Tuesday.
The chef has set an ambitious time for himself which is 200 hours (eight days 8 hours). He has now gone five days one hour as at the time of filing this report.
Because the Guinness World Record (GWR) that regulates the contest is bound to deduct from his total period it is not yet certain Chef Maggie has broken the record set (119 hours 57 minutes) by Chef Alan Fisher, an Irishman, who set the record Thursday, November in Japan. Recall about seven hours was deducted from Hilda Baci, the Nigerian chef, Fisher dethroned who originally spent 100 hours cooking in Lagos last May.
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So, for the Nigerian chef to be in an unassailable position to break the coveted GWR gong he has to remain resilient and persevering, and go clear of the 121 hours he has now reached.
What is a Cookathon?
The word “cook-a-thon” is a combination of the two words “cook” and “marathon” which means any individual attempting to do so will have to do so alone as well as do it for a number of times which can be hours or days whereby the time is usually measured in hours to either match-up with a record or break one.
Cookathon is a cooking competition for chefs around the globe in an attempt to break a world record, usually, “athon” is defined as an activity performed over a prolonged or continuous period of time, sometimes for charity courses, such events also exist as walkathon involves walking a long distance also to set or break a record.
Cookathon as stated above is a cooking competition to set or break a World Guinness Record that was previously held by a particular individual who had once attempted the same feat. Likewise, the cookathon is one of the Guinness World Records that is greatly loved and it is a cultural phenomenon that brings people together to set records.
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How does a Cookathon work?
Basically, cook-a-thon involves any chef who wishes to set a world record to attempt at doing beyond what the previous person who had held the record did. So it involves the person that wants to take on the world record to set out to beat the set record and create a new one. Cookathon requires a resolute who is usually a chef after he/she has been vetted to be in the right physical condition to take on the challenge to do so.
Who can participate in a Cookathon?
Literally, anyone who has met the condition can participate in the cooking marathon, application to submit a record or to set a record is openly welcome. Well, some things that eager beaver who wish to set a Guinness World Record for the cookathon includes any person who wishes to participate to first make an application to Guinness World Records which usually due to the high volume of applications, and it can take up to 12 weeks to get a response depending on the categories of records you have chosen to set.
As a challenger who wishes to challenge the present record and speedy reply, a challenger can apply through the priority application which will require you to pay a certain amount of money in dollars for you to get a reply between 3-5 working days.
What are the benefits of participating in a Cookathon?
Well, there is no monetary reward for participating in the cooking marathon, except for the audience who gets to eat and enjoy each of the delicious meals that are prepared over the course of the marathon cooking. Usually, the person who wishes to set the record will not be paid for attempting such a feat, except for getting sponsorship and funding from well-wishers or individual who wishes to show an act of support.
Furthermore, participating in and breaking a Guinness Cookathon World Record, though no monetary benefit is attached to it, it can however offer benefits such as a certificate that is recognized worldwide which in turn allows the bearer to attain fame and publicity for their achievements. While some other benefits may include;
• Media Recognition
• Sponsorships and endorsements
• Excitements and Thrills
• Achievements
Some popular Cookathon record holders
While the cookathon is the longest cooking marathon by an individual, records are meant to be set and broken and a couple of people have set and broken the records a few times since the inception of the Guinness Book of Records which started in the 1950s as an idea for a book stop people from arguing about some known or unknown facts in public facilities, such as pubs, restaurant or anywhere an argument can ensue.
Below are some of the most popular cookathon record holders
1. Chef Benjamin Perry who was 18 years at the time from Rhode Island, America, was the title holder on March 12, 2014, after he cooked for 40 straight hours.
2. Chef Vishnu Manohar from India set the record in 2017 after cooking a sequence of 20 different meals for 53 hours straight to take the tile from Ben Perry.
3. Chef Rickey Lumpkin II from Los Angeles won the home cooking competition in 2018 after cooking for 68 hours, 30 minutes, and 1 second.
4. Chef Maliha Mohammed from Kenya became the record holder in August 2018 after she cooked for 75 hours non-stop at Kenya Bay Beach Resort in Mombasa.
5. Chef Lata Tondon from India was the next cookathon record holder when she clinched the spot by cooking for 87 hours, and 45 minutes in 2019.
6. Chef Hilda Baci from Nigeria became the record holder in May 2023 with the record for cooking for 93 hours 11 minutes.
7. Chef Alan Fisher an Irish emerged new record holder last week after he cooked in Japan where he runs restaurants for 119 hours 57 minutes.
Can Chef Tope Maggie become the next record holder?
Certainly, if he lasts the 200 hours mark he set himself or goes well clear of the 121 hours 30 minutes he has surpassed now to make discount for the hours to be deducted from his final total.
Does the Guinness Book of Records give prizes to record holders?
No, Guinness World Record does not give any prize except for the certificate of achievement that is globally recognized and is given to any individual who becomes the record holder.
Note: More information from RNN.NG
