Let’s face it, not many of us are blessed with the natural talent of sporting greats like Usain Bolt or the sheer guts of daredevils such as motorcycle legend Evel Knievel. So to earn our place in the record books, us mere mortals must come up with increasingly obscure and bizarre feats to achieve.
That’s something Sheffield folk have excelled themselves at over the years – from the most people bouncing on Space Hoppers to the biggest sausage and mash or the greatest number of ‘living dolls’ in shop windows. Here we salute those bold and inventive Sheffielders down the decades who have attempted to break all manner of world records. Whether they’ve succeeded or failed, at least they gave it a go.
Who knows, maybe one of these world record attempts featured in our retro photo gallery will inspire you to give it a bash.
Who knows, maybe one of these world record attempts featured in our retro photo gallery will inspire you to give it a bash.
![Sheffield soldier Captain Capt Phylip Scott, of the Royal Engineers, was part of a team which smashed a 120-year-old world record for travelling across the ice in Greenland](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjAwODU0YWZiLWQ5NjgtNDZhZi1iMWFiLTUzZWVlNzE2ZGVhNjo0OWJiNzA1ZC1kYTgyLTRlN2YtYWQzZS0yNzkyOTI3OTBlZmI=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
17. Ice escapade
Sheffield soldier Captain Capt Phylip Scott, of the Royal Engineers, was part of a team which smashed a 120-year-old world record for travelling across the ice in Greenland Photo: Submitted
![Youngsters at Sheffield Tigers attempt to break the world record for the longest touch rugby match](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjQxZTM2NjkwLTc4MDctNGE3OS1hMjUzLTQ4MDBhMDE1MGE0Mjo3NTRlNGZjMi1lNWE5LTQ5OGItYjgyYS00ZGYyYjU5NGY0ZmY=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
18. Touch rugby
Youngsters at Sheffield Tigers attempt to break the world record for the longest touch rugby match Photo: Dean Atkins
![The Cancer Research Yorkshire Big Bounce at Sheffield's Don Valley Bowl, where participants attempted to break the world record for Space Hopping](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjRhMjU0ZTVkLWRlZTktNDk1Mi04ODE5LTcyNjEwMTFiMTEyOTo4ZWEyM2ZjZi0wMGU2LTQ4ODctOThkNC0xM2NmNjY5ODRhN2M=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
19. Hopping mad
The Cancer Research Yorkshire Big Bounce at Sheffield's Don Valley Bowl, where participants attempted to break the world record for Space Hopping Photo: Dean Atkins
![Sheffield magician Steve Faulkner, from Ecclesall, broke the Guinness World Record for the most spinning tops spun simultaneously. He managed to keep 22 steel spinning tops rotating at one, smashing the previous mark of 16](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmE2YTFjMjkwLTk3MWYtNDM3Zi1iYzU5LThkMDA1ZjdmNzczZTphOGM1MjVjNS1lODJkLTRiYzktODQyYS0xNDQxNGEzNjNiODU=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
20. In a spin
Sheffield magician Steve Faulkner, from Ecclesall, broke the Guinness World Record for the most spinning tops spun simultaneously. He managed to keep 22 steel spinning tops rotating at one, smashing the previous mark of 16 Photo: Peter Kay