Update: The basketball players wrapped up playing at 3 p.m. Saturday. The 123-hour record still needs to be confirmed by Guinness World Records.
A group of basketball players west of Edmonton are running on adrenaline as they seek to clinch the world record for longest basketball game in the world.
Twenty-four players, predominantly from Spruce Grove and Stony Plain, are taking part in a competitive game at Living Waters Christian Academy; the teams are playing six on six at a time.
Roc Weigle, the game’s steward, said the group is trying to play continuously for 123 hours.
The longest basketball game in the world, according to Guinness World Records, was set in the Philippines in 2014 when a group of athletes played for 120 hours.
Weigle said there was another attempt to break the record in 2016 with 122 hours; unfortunately he said the evidence that was sent to Guinness was not sufficient and they did not get the official record.
“Here we are again, 2018, attempting it again, upping the ante a little bit. Breaking our unofficial record at 122 [hours] with 123 hours. Hopefully Guinness will recognize us this time,” he said.
Weigle said the rules are strict for the game to be recognized by Guinness – it has to be a real, competitive game, there must be scorekeepers, there can’t be stalls or lulls in the game, players must stay in the gym or they are disqualified, there must be video evidence of the game and the official score must also be recorded during the game.
The athletes are playing in two-hour shifts and Weigle said, so far, there have not been any injuries.
Weigle said the final push for the game will begin on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. with the game slated to end later that afternoon.
The event is also a fundraiser for the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.