In our family, we live by the motto that “we were made to do hard things,” an idea we picked up from our friends, the Wonderling Family. It’s always an adventure to come up with new challenges for us to tackle together. This motto has been a source of encouragement during personal and family challenges, from long hikes and cliff jumping to solving math problems.
This morning, that mindset inspired us to take on a fun new challenge: setting a world record! One of my goals this year was to achieve a world record, and I knew it would be even more special if I attempted it alongside other moms. Given the tough year many families have had, especially for moms, I wanted to do something together that was both fun and lighthearted. That’s when I thought of how many times as moms we’ve practiced walking on LEGO bricks—stepping on one in the middle of the night on the way to a crying baby or dashing across the house.
With our team of five moms, including 19 kids and over 200 pounds of LEGOs, the idea seemed perfect. After years of handling LEGO-related mishaps, a few minutes of walking on them didn’t sound too daunting. But it turned out to be tougher than expected!
Setting a world record takes more effort than you might believe. We started preparations in February and worked closely with GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® to ensure everything was in place. Travel restrictions added even more complexity to the planning process. Here’s how we got ready:
I’m incredibly proud to have friends like Ashley, Savanna, Grace, and Cat join me in this endeavor. They not only showed up early on a weekend but also outdid themselves in speed and distance! I’ve always believed that moms are one of the strongest forces on the planet, and they proved it.
We arrived around 90 minutes before our start time to set things up. The track, built the night before, was ready. We had a professional surveyor measure it to submit an official report. A local doctor and EMT checked our feet to make sure we were good to go.
We had three witnesses—Alex, Michael, and Zachary, all with coaching or athletic backgrounds—who reviewed the official rules and equipped themselves with stopwatches and counters. They took positions on either side of our 10-meter track and kept count of our laps and time. To make our attempt valid, we had to cover at least 1 km.
Our official attempt kicked off just after 9 AM. We maintained a strong pace of about 12 seconds per lap. Each of us walked for roughly 12 minutes, needing to complete a minimum of 20 laps each. We hit that goal before the halfway mark and surpassed the minimum distance in the third leg of our relay.
By the time our one-hour attempt ended, we had walked 328 laps! Our aim was to cover at least 1 km, and we ended up walking over 3 km (more than 2 miles!). Our kids acted as the “pit crew,” putting any LEGOs back on the track if they flew off during our walk.
Yes, it hurt! By the end of the morning, our feet were sore and bloody, and we didn’t feel like walking for the rest of the day. The first few laps were surprisingly easier than the random LEGO stepping that happens in everyday life, but after 100 meters, things got tough. Ten minutes in, we each started questioning our decision to take on this challenge!
The team at Guinness World Records® was fantastic, and we had an official adjudicator verify our attempt. After anxiously waiting, we received the exciting news that we had set the new world record!
We now hold the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® title for the farthest distance traveled by walking barefoot on LEGO bricks by a relay in one hour. And yes, we’re icing our feet! Would you ever take on walking on LEGOs by choice?
