Crazy record: This cricketer takes a 62-mile run-up to bowl one ball
Attempt was made for Guinness World Record for longest cricket bowling run-up by a male
A 22-year-old cricketer from Surrey could be on the verge of setting a Guinness World Record after completing a 62-mile (100km) run before bowling a cricket ball.
Sam Bodoano, from Worplesdon near Guildford, began his challenge at Lord’s Cricket Ground in north London on Saturday and ran for around 14 hours to reach Valley End Cricket Club in Woking on Sunday.
Carrying a cricket ball throughout the journey and dressed in full cricket whites, Bodoano completed the run before delivering the opening ball of a match to his father.
The attempt was made for the Guinness World Record for the longest cricket bowling run-up by a male. Bodoano is understood to have comfortably surpassed the previous record of 15 miles.
The challenge also raised almost £6,000 ($8,100) for cancer charity The Ruth Strauss Foundation.
“I’m very tired, I lost a lot of sleep, but it was all for an amazing cause,” Bodoano was quoted in BBC.
Gruelling trek
Sam Bodoano took on the challenge after being inspired by the previous 24km record. His extraordinary journey began at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground under the cover of darkness, as he embarked on a gruelling 14-hour trek through London and into Surrey.
Dressed in cricket whites and a red hat, Bodoano carried a red cricket ball in his hand for the entire distance, refusing to let it drop despite fatigue setting in during the punishing pre-dawn hours. With nothing else to carry, the club cricketer pushed on as darkness gave way to daylight, entering the final stretch of his journey with the remaining miles to Woking steadily ticking away.
To qualify for the record, Bodoano had to complete the entire run while carrying a cricket ball, remain in full cricket whites and then play in a cricket match after completing the run-up.
While he has fulfilled the requirements of the attempt, Guinness World Records has yet to officially recognise the feat. A spokesperson said Bodoano’s application would now go through the organisation’s formal evidence review and verification process.
