EDMOND, Okla. — More than 800 members of the University of Central Oklahoma community descended on Wantland Stadium for Thumbmania on Tuesday, as students and faculty set a world record for the longest continuous chain of thumb war.
An unofficial tally of 872 participants broke the previous record of 846, set by the University of Missouri at Rolla, according to Courtney James, assistant director of campus activities. The official record listed on the Guinness World Records web site is 310, set in June 2011 in the United Kingdom.
“We beat the record! I am so excited,” said Kay Robinson, director of campus activities. “We really appreciate the students coming out.”
To break the record, participants were required to stay locked together hand-in-hand and play continuously for five minutes.
“I came out because I wanted to be a part of getting in the Guinness Book of World Records,” said Jared Styles, freshman marketing major. “We will not be beaten this year, or a few months later.”
If the count is confirmed, this will be UCO’s second world record in as many years. In August 2011, UCO set a world record for the largest game of “Duck Duck Goose” with 1,636 participants. That record was broken a few months later when 2135 participants played in Rogersville, Mo., on Oct. 7.
“I think it’s fun, and people seem to enjoy the process,” said UCO President Don Betz. “The reputation of the university doesn’t rise or fall on Thumbmania, but for the students who will be out here tonight, they’ll have a wonderful time, they’ll share in a record they will probably break and have a wonderful memory to take with them. Then, they will be back in class tomorrow morning.”
Guinness World Records will have to confirm the unofficial count before UCO is named the record holder. Robinson said that the official count would be announced in two to three weeks.
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
Raw: School Bus Crash Injures Five Children
Quick Response Saved Baby on Phila. Train Tracks
One Million Evacuated As Cyclone Hits Bangladesh
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Coffee Stop Leads To Arrest Of YouTube Sensation Wanted For Murder
Bearded Dragon Reunited With Owner
Marine Reunited with Warzone Companion
Beyonce Is Pregnant!
SF baseball player overpaid $500,000 RETURNS money -- and team says KEEP IT
Dad returns from Afghanistan, surprises family during Rays' first pitch
See Jennifer Lopez's New $10m Hamptons Mansion
Woman tricked into taking abortion pill
Emma Watson Goes Pantless
IRS scandal: Republicans seek to tie Obama to agency's woes
Play of the Day: Flipping to Safety
Pregnant Kim Kardashian Squeezes Her Swollen Feet Into Stilettos
Top Videos of the Week: Angry Taco Bell Guy, Glacier Moves on House, Dog Hates Baths
Cindy Crawford Stuns At Cannes
Raw: Marines Come to Obama's Aid in the Rain
CUTE: Monkey shares lollipop with dog, then HITS pooch on head with it
Miranda Kerr Looks Sexy in a Bikini Photo Shoot
