In a remarkable display of endurance and commitment to promoting literacy, five young Dominican participants have crossed the finish line of a grueling 480-hour non-stop reading aloud marathon, wrapping up their 20-day challenge Sunday evening in Santo Domingo.
The team, composed of Abril del Rosario, Ismael Durán, Maikol Arias, Mayury Vélez and Franchesca Minier, hit the official 480-hour milestone at 6:00 p.m. local time, capping off a round-the-clock effort that saw the group rotate and maintain continuous reading across 20 consecutive days. By the end of the challenge, the participants had worked their way through 63 full books, turning a collective display of endurance into a celebration of written work.
Crowds of family members, friends, and enthusiastic supporters gathered on site to cheer on the team as they completed their final hour, joining in a joyful celebration of their achievement. Beyond the goal of claiming a world record, the initiative carries a broader social mission: to foster a culture of reading across the Dominican Republic, and shine a spotlight on the active role young Dominicans play in advancing the country’s education, cultural development, and knowledge sharing.
For organizers, the challenge is also a matter of national pride. The Dominican Republic previously held the Guinness World Record for the longest reading marathon roughly 15 years ago, and this effort was organized to bring the title back to the country. Now that the on-the-ground challenge is complete, the team will submit all required evidence and official documentation to Guinness World Records headquarters. Independent adjudicators will review the submission to verify that all of the organization’s strict requirements have been met, before granting official recognition of the new record attempt.