Teacher completes 45-hour math marathon, shattering Guinness World Record

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Mathematics teacher Fenwick Cyril Maloba delivers one of the marathon lessons at Menengai High School during his 45-hour Guinness World Record attempt for the longest mathematics lesson.  [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Menengai High School teacher Fenwick Cyril Maloba has officially completed a gruelling 45-hour non-stop teaching marathon, breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous mathematics lesson.

Malobah started his marathon lesson on Friday at 8:00 am under the banner "Maths is not a monster; it's a marathon." 

By Saturday afternoon, he had surpassed the previous record of 31 hours, 42 minutes, and 54 seconds set by Nigerian mathematician Sanusi Kazeem in April 2025.

Driven by a personal mission to eliminate students' fear of numbers, Malobah pushed well beyond the old record through the night, finally stopping the clock on Sunday morning at exactly 45 hours.

To meet strict Guinness World Record rules, the event required high-quality, continuous audio-visual tracking, independent witnesses, and rotating shifts of students to ensure the classroom was never empty. 

‎Malobah was allowed only a five-minute break for every hour taught, which he strategically used to maintain his physical endurance.

This milestone achievement now awaits official ratification from the Guinness World Records team.

The classroom was meticulously prepared to satisfy strict Guinness World Records verification requirements. A camera recorded the entire session, capturing continuous video and audio evidence to prove that genuine teaching is taking place without interruption.

On one side of the room there were two independent witnesses, documenting every stage and ensuring the lesson plan is followed. Like the learners, they work in shifts.

The clock is the most important item in the room. Guinness endurance rules allow a five-minute break for every completed hour of continuous teaching. These breaks may be accumulated. Only during these breaks is Maloba allowed to eat, sleep or visit the washroom.

“He took his first break after four hours, meaning he had accumulated 20 minutes,” said Beryl Onyango, a chemistry teacher at Bahati Girls and one of the witnesses.

“However, he used only nine minutes, so he has saved 11 minutes for when he may need them most.”

The classroom must never be empty. Before one group leaves, another must already be seated.

Elizabeth Njoki, among the first participants, described the experience as both engaging and enjoyable.

“As someone who left high school almost 20 years ago, I never imagined I would enjoy mathematics this much. The teacher made everything so easy,” she said.

Nutritionist Lilian Mutugi said preparations began weeks before the challenge, with Maloba following a light diet while spending long nights developing lesson plans and revising mathematical concepts.

“He has spent the last two weeks preparing his body and mind to build physical stamina, alongside intense paperwork, lesson planning, and sourcing equations late into the night. He is a very focused person who always works to get what he wants,” she said.