Bendancer finishes 168-hour dance marathon, now Guinness must rule

Seven days on his feet. Lagos dancer Benjamin Daniel Gabriel, known as Bendancer, completed his 168-hour dance marathon at Freedom Park on Tuesday, 29 September, in a bid for the Guinness World Record, Vanguard reported.

That is 41 hours more than the current mark. The record for the longest dance marathon by an individual is 127 hours, held by Indian dancer Srushti Sudhir Jagtap since 2023.

But finishing is only half of it. Nothing is official until Guinness World Records has been through his evidence, and the last big Nigerian marathon record shows that the rest breaks can cost as much as the dancing.

Has Bendancer broken the Guinness World Record?

Not yet, officially. Guinness World Records told Vanguard on Tuesday that his application is active and that it is waiting for his evidence, which must pass its review and verification process before any record is confirmed.

Vanguard reported that he was taken to hospital for a medical check-up after he stopped. As of 6:27pm WAT on Tuesday, 29 September, Guinness had not published a result.

How do Guinness dance marathon rules work?

Under Guinness marathon rules, a dancer earns five minutes of rest for every hour of continuous activity, and those minutes can be saved and used in one block, according to Pulse Nigeria. Bendancer used his breaks in blocks, ate light meals and was watched by a medical team throughout, Pulse and QED.NG reported.

Those breaks are where records are won and lost. When chef Hilda Baci cooked in Lekki in May 2023, she aimed for 100 hours, but Guinness took almost seven hours off her total because she ran over on one early rest break. It confirmed her at 93 hours 11 minutes on 13 June 2023, four weeks after she finished.

Who is Bendancer?

Bendancer is a 33-year-old dancer, choreographer and creative director with about 18 years in the business, according to Pulse Nigeria. He runs Bendancer Academy International, has performed with Made Kuti and The Movement, and danced at Felabration and the 2021 Big Brother Naija finale.

At Freedom Park he switched between Afrobeats, fuji, jazz and zouk, and changed into agbada and dashiki at different points. His team told Pulse the point was to show Nigeria’s cultures through dance. Crowds came to the park through the week to cheer him on, Vanguard reported.

What happens next

Bendancer’s team now has to send its evidence to Guinness World Records, which will review it before ruling. Guinness has not given a date for a decision. On Hilda Baci’s timeline, a verdict could take weeks rather than days.

FAQ

How long is the dance marathon world record?
The Guinness World Record for the longest dance marathon by an individual is 127 hours, set by Srushti Sudhir Jagtap of India in 2023. Bendancer danced for 168 hours at Freedom Park, Lagos.

Is Bendancer’s record official?
Not yet. As of Tuesday, 29 September 2026, Guinness World Records said his application was active and his evidence still had to be reviewed and verified.

Where did Bendancer do his dance marathon?
At Freedom Park on Lagos Island, where the public could watch the attempt in person.

Would you have gone to Freedom Park to watch him dance? Tell us in the comments.

Read next: Black Market sets Guinness World Record with 51,000 viewers in Lagos · Tinubu hails Black Market filmmakers over 51,000-viewer Guinness record