George Hood pulled it off earlier this morning -- he broke the Guinness Book of World Records previous mark of 175.5 consecutive hours riding a stationary-bike around 5:45 a.m. CST. When the on-site Guinness ajudicator, Danny Girton, Jr., presented Hood with a certificate, a roomful of fans at the Chicago suburban Fry Family YMCA roared with applause.

I set the alarm early this morning to head over and witness Hood's record-breaking moment. After tacking on ten more minutes to the previous record, Hood was planning to head to the hospital for a check-up and labs, and begin his body's healing process. He's been pedaling about nine days since the attempt's start on Sunday, May 4.

At the end of Hour 162 on the bike, Hood had accrued the following unbelievable stats:

• Ridden 1,991 miles, averaging 12.3 mph (overall he covered more than 2,600 miles)
• Burned a total of 46,087 calories
• Taken 57 Guinness-allowed bathroom/stretch/short sleep breaks, totaling 12 hours and 40 minutes
• Slept a total of 9 hours and 36 minutes -- typically 10 minute naps

I took a bunch of pics the last couple days -- check out my photo gallery for a glimpse of Hood, his support team and excited fans. Beyond making Guinness, Hood has raised nearly $30,000 thus far for the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign to provide Y fee assistance for kids and families -- a goal he told me was more gratifying than any World Record certificate. Thanks George for the great ride!

George Hood breaks World Record(click thumbnails to view gallery)

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