- Habibat Salawudeen Ihiovi-Jack is currently trending across social media platforms as she attempts to secure a new Guinness World Record for the longest marathon Bible reading aloud.
- Branded as “144 Hours in the Word,” the marathon commenced on Monday, June 22, 2026, at Novotel in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and has officially crossed the crucial 100-hour operational threshold.
- Organizers and church leaders emphasize that the continuous, live-streamed event is primarily a faith-driven initiative aimed at exalting the scriptures and inspiring global believers, rather than just a bid for international prestige.
The global wave of endurance record attempts in Nigeria has taken a profoundly spiritual dimension in Rivers State, drawing widespread public interest and digital engagement.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Habibat Salawudeen Ihiovi-Jack, a dedicated Christian and resident of Port Harcourt, is in the final stages of her official bid to establish a new Guinness World Record for the longest marathon Holy Bible reading aloud.
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Setting up her operational base at Novotel, Port Harcourt, Ihiovi-Jack has committed herself to an grueling 144-hour target of uninterrupted scriptural recitation, a feat that combines physical resilience with deep spiritual devotion.
The marathon, strategically themed “144 Hours in the Word,” officially kicked off on Monday, June 22, 2026. By Sunday morning, tracking metrics indicated that Ihiovi-Jack had successfully crossed the landmark 100-hour mark, effectively pushing her into the high-stakes final stretch of the endurance challenge.
Real-time video broadcasts and digital countdown feeds shared across social media networks show her reading consistently from a designated lectern and desk, surrounded by a rotating support system of family members, close friends, and fellow congregants who have gathered on-site to offer moral and physical support.
According to details provided by the event planning committee, the marathon is being strictly executed under standard Guinness World Records operational guidelines.
These rigid criteria mandate that the participant must read the text audibly and continuously, with only tightly regulated, accumulated short breaks permitted for essential human needs and physical recuperation.
Ihiovi-Jack, an active member of The Summit Bible Church in Port Harcourt, conceptualized the challenge as a platform to foster a renewed societal interest in studying holy texts.
Her spiritual leader, Dr. Andy Osakwe, has fully endorsed the project, framing the grueling physical toll as a meaningful sacrifice to highlight spiritual literacy.
This scriptural marathon adds another high-profile chapter to Nigeria’s ongoing cultural fascination with breaking global endurance barriers, a trend that dramatically accelerated following the widespread success of various local marathons over the last few years.
Notably, Ihiovi-Jack’s faith-led attempt follows the monumental achievement of another Nigerian reader, Samson Ajao of Ibadan, who secured official Guinness World Records recognition in 2024 after completing an astounding 215-hour marathon reading aloud, which shattered the previous 124-hour record held by Kyrgyzstan’s Rysbai Isakov.
As Ihiovi-Jack closes in on her final target, her team remains highly optimistic that the project will reach its scheduled conclusion on July 2, 2026, pending final verification from the international GWR judging panel.
