Guinness World Records Set In 2019 In Illinois

ILLINOIS — From feats of strength to sports achievements to massively oversized items, it's been a record-breaking year in Illinois. Remarkable people (and animals) achieved remarkable things — so much so that many of them have been included among this year's Guinness World Records.

The following things and people in Illinois were dubbed "officially amazing" in 2019:

Farthest distance walking on LEGO bricks: If you're a parent or anyone who has had the misfortune of accidentally stepping on a LEGO barefoot, you might be asking: "Why would anyone do this?" According to Guinness World Records, Salacnib "Sonny" Molina of Woodstock did it in honor of his dad, who passed away this year. He now owns the record for the farthest trek along LEGO bricks for walking 3,869.84 meters — that's just over 12,696 feet — across the toy building blocks on Nov. 14. Molina, an orthopedic nurse, part-time fisherman and fishing lure creator, already held five Guinness World records when he completed the feat, including "Most barefoot half marathons run on consecutive days."

World's oldest living rabbit: Named for Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, Mick the agouti rabbit of Berwyn was named the world's oldest rabbit in March at the age of 16 — well past the expected lifespan of 10 years. His secret to longevity? Caring owner Liz Rench said she reguarly treated the elderly bunny to acupuncture, among other pampering. Sadly, Rench announced Mick's passing in May, two months after he earned the oldest-bunny title. "Having lived over 16 years (practically two rabbit lifetimes), losing two bonded mates, dealing with countless health setbacks, and being titled the 'oldest living rabbit' by Guinness World Records, he is truly the most remarkable rabbit I’ve ever known," she wrote on Facebook.

Largest orthopedic cast: In August, the folks at NorthShore Orthopaedic & Spine Institute in Skokie achieved another world record: the largest orthopedic cast in the world, spanning 1.997 cubic meters — a total of 12 feet long and 5 feet wide. That's so big, it would fit a 78-foot-tall person (although nobody has achieved that record yet). The cast was signed by NorthShore employees and members of the community and was displayed at the Westfield Old Orchard Mall.

Most trio waterskiers pulled behind a single boat: How many sets of waterskiers can a single boat tow? That remains to be seen, but on Sept. 15, the record was set in Rock Island, where a boat pulled 14 sets of waterski trios (for a total of 42 people). The feat was achieved by Big Pull 2019, a group attempting to set new national and world waterski records.

Tallest stack of waffles: This delicious world record was set Nov. 3 by Jeff and Jennifer Madden of Peoria, who stacked nearly 3 feet of waffles. "The husband and wife duo decided to attempt this record because Jeff is a chef and Jennifer participates with multiple charities, so [they] used the event as a way to raise awareness for charitable organizations in their area," the Guinness website says.

Fastest time to run the Chicago marathon for women: The 2019 Chicago Marathon was record-breaking. Brigid Kosgei of Kenya became the fastest woman to ever run the marathon, setting a time of two hours, 14 minutes and four seconds. Kosgei finished six minutes, 47 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Ababel Yeshaneh, and her winning time knocked 81 seconds off the previous women’s marathon record, a record that had stood since 2003.

Most consecutive bench presses underwater: Greg Wittstock combined his love of water and his passion for weightlifting, setting a new world record on Oct. 1 with 61 consecutive underwater bench presses in St. Charles.

Largest charcuterie board: The mouth-watering achievement was completed Sept. 24 by Dataessential in Chicago. Sponsored by Boar's Head, the 150.05-foot board was filled with more than 400 pounds of meat, cheese and other items.

Largest rooftop bar: Sip a drink in the sky with the largest rooftop bar. Offshore Rooftop & Bar at Chicago's Navy Pier earned that distinction on June 20, measuring a whopping 52,310 square feet. "The all-season and all-weather venue features a full-service bar and kitchen inside the fully operable, barrel-vaulted glass enclosure, accompanied by a (20,000-square-foot) outdoor terrace space equipped with its own bar," Guinness said.

Largest bar/swizzle spoon: To accompany the world's largest orthopedic cast, Illinois is also home to this oversized bar ware: the largest bar/swizzle spoon, measuring 11 feet, 8 inches by 1 foot, 1 inch. The creator is Jim Bolin, who earned the record Aug. 20 in Casey, Illinois. The swizzle spoon joins a number of other Guinness World Records title-holding large items in Casey — including the world's largest wind chime, rocking chair, pitchfork, golf tee, mailbox, knitting/crochet hook and wooden shoes, which are all Guinness World Record holders. Bolin also achieved another "largest item" feat the same day in nearby Marshall, Illinois, with the world's largest gavel, which is on display at the county courthouse.

Largest display of "Star Wars" LEGO minifigures: Another Lego-related feat, this time at Chicago's McCormick Place. It happened April 11 during the Star Wars Celebration as the LEGO Group created a display of 36,440 minifigures in the shape of a stormtrooper helmet as part of an event marking the 20th anniversary of LEGO’s partnership with "Star Wars."

Longest time in an abdominal plank: Mom Dana Glowacka of Montreal, Canada, accomplished this fitness feat on May 18 in Naperville, holding a plank for four hours, 19 minutes and 55 seconds. "Dana's son found this record in a Guinness World Records book and told her she could do it," Guinness said. "She attempted the record for him so her son would be proud of her and learn that if you stay committed to what you want, everything is possible." The record was set at the International Plank Marathon in Naperville, held at the Hotel Arista.