Featured Break a Guinness World Records title: Northern California Prius Parade

Yes, it is can seem like quite a challenge to achieve those goals with such a large group.
That's also why breaking a Guinness World Record with this number of vehicles is very difficult.

I agree that all those that participated had fun and if you want to call them winners, that is fine.

But looking at the official video from Toyota, I'm not so sure it met all of Guinness' criteria to be called Largest Parade of Hybrid Cars

Looking at the picture in post #58, still need an answer...
How many car lengths are between the circled car and the one behind it?

 

The distance you are seeing looks like the back of the parade during the start. Once tightly spaced we continued to drive for more than 2 miles, so at some point the criteria was met. The official from Guinness was viewing from the elevated platform, and certified the results.

 

So you are saying in the view from 1:01 the area that includes the three rows of cars on the right going away from the camera is not actually part of the official parade.
That is simply lead up to the actual parade.
The actual parade started some other place on the tarmac. Right?

 

Keep it up Eric, we'll send you a plane ticket for the next one. <GRINS>

Or I'll Über you there.

Bob Wilson

 

Personal I don't give a %#$& it's if it did or didn't break record I had fun, and lots of other people did too! Won prizes free food , and 1 lucky person drove away in a 2016 Prius worth over $25,000 let me ask those are so hard on! Fork out $100,000+ put on your own attempt to break a record , otherwise stop crying!

 

I didn't watch that part of the video. Honestly, I don't know where the official "start" was and what were the official begin and end points. I just followed as we were directed.

If there was some requirements about maximum allowed gap, it was never announced (if it was, it was announced poorly since I never heard it and it wasn't like we were in a loud crowd before the start) nor written on anything we got. We weren't told anything about this at check in time either nor by any of the staffers that were at the starting parking area.

Prior to the start, I overheard one staffer conversing w/a participant about Perforce, explaining the concepts of source control software, etc. to someone who was likely a non-techie. I could only guess he worked for Perforce. (I'm quite familiar w/Perforce software (we used to use them at my work) and looked them up. They happen to have an office in Alameda, the same city as the former naval station where the event was at.)

Again, the Guinness rep himself gave the stats, made the announcements and passed along the framed certificate.

 

Topp Cat,
Your post made me laugh. Good to have some passion about having fun.

Not sure if you realize, but I *did* fork out my own money to break this record...I helped organize the 2011 Largest Parade of Hybrid Cars that brought the world record to the Midwest.

No crying here my man. In fact if you read through the whole thread you'd notice I was cheering this attempt on.

Whether are not a record was broken is important, though, and I would not want anyone discounting the effort put forth by the organizers to make it happen. Yes, it is about a good time, but is can also be about having a purpose and upholding the integrity of Guinness Records, too.

Sounds like at least one person doesn't think the gaps were part of the actual Parade. Hopefully that is right. Only one of the organizers would know it for sure. (Any organizer want to chime in?) Since there isn't quite enough context for that portion of the video, I think you can see how it can easily be misinterpreted. Which is why I asked about whether it was a practice session. (Post #50) Maybe there is a better video that shows all the cars close together without the large gaps.

As other people mentioned on this thread, organizers of Largest Parade attempts often try to emphasize to participants about the two-car length rule because it is so critical.

And if anyone wants to help me fund a record breaking attempt here in the Midwest again, especially if it is $100,000 like Topp Cat threw out there, I'm up for it again!

 

Oh I see. We broke your record. Now I get it. All kidding aside. We made 2 laps. I was too busy having fun to pay attention to the actual distance we drove. Perhaps the first lap was practice and the second lap was real? The second lap was lot slower than the first lap. My wife was told about the 2 car length rule, I was the driver and I missed it. And if we're being totally by the book. Is it two car lengths behind or all around? There were 3 lanes and near the end we twisted around quite a bit. I'd be two car lengths from a few cars in some direction if not forward. Does the 2 miles length get tripled if there are 3 lanes? I don't know and I hope the official did his due diligence.

 

These events are fun. And the participants should enjoy them for sure. Just being around so many like minded people and their cars is energizing. I think it's the planners that end up fretting so much. Glad the fretting did not rub off on the participants!

Good question about the tripling lane effect for mileage.
That would be very helpful if it's applicable.
Looking at my guidelines (from 2011) I don't see a clarification about that.

Depending on how you read the two car lengths rule I don't think it is clear whether or not it is limited to only the car directly in front or behind you. In the case of the multiple lanes, maybe it is acceptable to "leapfrog" back and forth across the lanes. I never researched it for our attempt since we were single file on a public road.

All it says is...

"There must be no significant 'gaps' in the flow of vehicles. The vehicles must not be more than two vehicle-lengths apart during the parade."​

I suppose this rule is so that you can't just start counting hybrids coming over the Bay Bridge and say it was a "Parade".
Because otherwise I suppose you could say the Largest Parade of Hybrid Cars happens every day in SF.