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Guinness Announces Four New World Record Categories

3 weeks philmaggitti
Guinness Announces Four New World Record Categories. In this one a man in a button-down shirt seated at a folding table inserts his left index finger into his nostril with the focused expression of a competitive athlete. A digital scale and legal pad sit before him.
Gary Pitcock of Akron, Ohio, in a pre-attempt training session. “Hydration matters,” he said. “Ambient humidity matters.”

LONDON — Guinness confirmed today the addition of four new world record categories to its 2026 edition, citing “a significant body of unrecognized human and non-human achievement we can no longer in good conscience overlook.”

The announcement was made by Craig Glenday, Guinness editor-in-chief, at a press briefing attended by fourteen journalists and one man who said he was there about something else.

The four new world record categories, effective immediately, are:

Projectile Sneezing (Measured Distance, Unobstructed).The average human sneeze travels at 95 mph and propels droplets up to twenty-seven feet, according to  research conducted at MIT in 2014. Guinness will now recognize the farthest verified single sneeze under controlled conditions. Attempts must be spontaneous. Induced sneezes via pepper inhalation are grounds for being disqualified.

Longest Uninterrupted Barking by a Single Dog. Guinness has recognized the loudest bark — 113.1 decibels, produced in 2012 by an Australian Golden Retriever named Charlie, equivalent in volume to a 1970s KISS concert. Duration, however, has gone unmeasured until now. Potential contestants should note that most U.S. municipalities define ten continuous minutes of barking as a nuisance violation. Any record attempt is, in this sense, not without legal exposure. Contestants are advised to consult local ordinances before attempting this record, and to consult them again with a lawyer present.

Nasal Excavation (Timed, Weight Competition). The technical name is rhinotillexis. A 1995 study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that 91 percent of respondents engaged in this behavior. Guinness will recognize the heaviest documented nasal harvest. Certified judges and accurate metric scales must be employed.

Speed Gregorian Chanting (Full Antiphon, Single Breath). Gregorian chant was codified in the ninth century with the reasonable assumption that no one would try to rush it. Twelve centuries later some people have. Guinness will now recognize the fastest uninterrupted completion of a full antiphon on a single breath, performed without pitch deviation exceeding one semitone. Judges will include a certified cantor. Hyperventilation in the thirty seconds preceding the attempt is grounds for disqualification. The Vatican has not been consulted, but is not expected to weigh in favorably.

Whispers about new Guinness categories have been circulating for months, and one announced contender is already training. Gary Pitcock, 44, of Akron, Ohio, who “works in logistics,” has been preparing for a stab at the Nasal Excavation record since January.

“People think it is just natural, god-given ability,” Pitcock said. “It is not. Hydration matters. Ambient humidity matters. I have an  entire protocol.”

Pitcock said he expects to attempt the record in Kentucky this May, contingent on “getting the time off from work and a judge who is a professional about this sport. He has told his wife the trip is for a conference.

Guinness notes that all attempts must be witnessed, documented, and accompanied by a notarized statement confirming that the attempt was, in some sense, intentional.

The 2026 edition publishes in September.

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