Anytime Fitness aims to break a Guinness World Record

Few franchises can boast the same level of success as Anytime Fitness, the gym franchise. Since launching in 2012, the chain of 24/7 fitness facilities has gone from strength to strength, having recently been awarded the gong for Top Global Franchise by Entrepreneur magazine. And now it seems that the brainchild of Chuck Runyon, CEO and co-founder of Anytime Fitness, is about to add breaking a Guinness World Record to its long list of accomplishments.

This weekend, the franchise is aiming to break the world record for the longest running non-stop football game by playing for 72 hours. The old record stands at 70 hours and three minutes. Each player from the two eight-person teams will walk, dribble and run more than 135 miles on just ten hours’ sleep per person.

The match kicked off yesterday at Chestnut Grove Academy in Balham and will run until Saturday October 29. Anytime Fitness Newbury along with Anytime Fitness City of London have teamed up to organise the game to raise awareness for Football Beyond Borders, a charity that assists children by teaching them resilience, focus, confidence and teamwork through football.

The team members have prepared for the game by receiving specialised training and nutrition plans from Anytime Fitness personal trainers. Commenting on the match, Neil Bozzoni, franchisee of an Anytime Fitness club in Newbury, said the teams embody the core of the franchise’s mission to help people be the best version of themselves. “We all strive to be the best and to help others along the way,” he said.

So it seems that Anytime Fitness could get into Guinness’ Book of World Record, raise funds for a charity and boost awareness for its brand in one not-so-swift swoop. Well, that’s a hat-trick we can get behind.