PHNOM PENH: Nearly 250 Cambodian couples braced for the long haul on Friday (March 8) to set a Guinness World Record for carrying their partner for the longest duration of time.
According to organisers, the competition, which took place in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, was held to commemorate International Women's Day and honour the role of women in men's lives.
The competition dragged on to the early hours of Saturday (March 9), as some of the 245 pairs of contestants passed out from exhaustion.
Setting a new world record wasn't the only motivating factor in the competition, as the first prize winner was awarded with a new Mazda Sedan, with second to fourth prize winners receiving motorcycles, and cash prices for other rankings.
Reun Vichet and his wife Him Pisey, who hail from southwestern Kampot province, managed to pull through to win the competition and the Mazda, setting a new world record for around eight hours and 20 minutes of couple-carrying.
The same competition, which was sponsored by Cambodian energy drink Boostrong, was held in 2023, but failed to set a new world record.
The event also earned a Guinness World Record for the most number of couples performing the "princess/bridal carry" simultaneously, according to the official Facebook page of event organiser Admin Kimsong. — Reuters