Ololade Ayelabola, a student at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), has set a new Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest distance walked by a model. Ayelabola completed an impressive 130.62 km catwalk, surpassing her initial goal of 120 km, which she began on October 1 at UNILAG’s indoor sports centre.
After reaching the 120 km milestone, she continued to walk an additional 10 km, completing a total of 2,058 laps within the centre.
In a statement on Instagram, Ayelabola explained that her record attempt was intended to highlight Nigeria’s creativity and the fashion industry. She stated, “I’m not walking for myself alone. I am walking for many models who have been limited by stereotypes and standards set by rigid systems. I am also walking to showcase the creativity of the Nigerian fashion industry.”
Ayelabola’s achievement is pending official verification from the Guinness World Records. Her feat surpasses the previous record set by Roberta Brown and Lorraine McCourt, who walked 114.4 km (71.1 miles) in Dublin, Ireland, on September 21, 1983.