Chris aiming for world mug record (From The Northern Echo)

Chris aiming for world mug record

11:53am Wednesday 22nd February 2012 in News

FOR those under the misapprehension that Guinness World Records are all about the smallest, tallest, strongest and fastest, think again.

The record books could soon include the name of 16-year-old Chris May, who came up with a new category by accident while unloading the dishwasher.

His feat of managing to hold 16 mugs in one hand is currently being investigated by Guinness World Records.

Chris, of Cleveland Terrace, Darlington, said: “I was just in the kitchen unloading the dishwasher, hanging mugs off my fingers, not even thinking about it, when my friend, Max Wheatcroft, said, ‘Hey, how many mugs you got there?’.

“I think I had about ten and he said, ‘Keep going, keep going, see how many you can get’.

“In the end, I got up to 16 and Max said, ‘It’s got to be a record’.”

“We ended up on the Guinness World Records website and it turned out there isn’t a category for holding mugs, so I emailed an application to be the first world record holder.”

A spokeswoman for Guinness World Records said a claim for a new category can take up to six weeks to verify.

She said: “The record management team will review Chris’ claim in due time and let him know whether or not this could be a new Guinness World Record.”

The nearest similar existing record is for most wine glasses held in one hand – by Reymond Adina, of the Philippines, who managed 39 in 2007 in a restaurant in Barcelona.

Chris, who is studying A-levels in theatre, law and ICT at Darlington’s Carmel RC College, added: “A top tip for anyone who wants to beat my record would be to look at how thin the handles are – it’s not the size of the actual mug, just the handle.”

“I joke that at least I will have achieved something in my life as an undisputed world record holder.”

Watch Chris attempt the record again