Seven of the weirdest Guinness World Records this year
From the largest biro to the fastest tortoise, there’s a record for everything
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By browsing the latest edition of the Guinness World Records book, some stand out more than others. Haven’t you always wanted to know how many balls a dog can catch in a minute?
Purin the beagle is just one of the most bizarre but brilliant world record holders featured in this year’s collection, having caught 14 balls in the space of a minute.
If animals records are your thing then Bluegrass the American steer can claim the widest horn spread of his species, stretching to 293.8 centimetres.
Closer to home, Bertie the tortoise from Durham is officially the fastest of his kind in the world, reaching a top speed of 0.28 metres per second or 0.6 miles per hour.
Another speed merchant is Andre Ortolf of Germany, whose time of 16.27 seconds is the fastest anyone has run the 100 metres in clogs.
Human achievement is also recognised when it comes to size, both natural and manufactured.
The tallest couple in the world are Sun Mingming, 33, and his wife XU Yan, 29, whose heights combine to reach 13 feet 10.72 inches.
Perhaps unsurprisingly the Chinese pair both practice sports that play to their strengths. Sun is a basketball player while Xu plays handball.
The largest biro in the world has been recorded at 5.5 metres, while the largest hot dog cart in the world is 23 feet 2 inches long, 9 feet 3 inches wide and 12 feet 2.75 inches high.
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