SO, YOU WANT TO BE A RECORD BREAKER?

From scaling Everest multiple times to running around a track with swim fins, the Guinness World Records continue to capture the imagination.

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We find out what makes them so appealing - and whether there are any up for grabs

When the doomed Everest mountaineer George Mallory was asked in the 1920s why he wanted to climb the world's highest mountain, he famously replied, "Because it's there".

Four decades later, US President John F. Kennedy evoked the memory of Mallory when he encouraged American astronauts to explore space and visit the Moon. In a famous speech, he said: ""But why,' some say, 'the Moon?' Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask: 'Why climb the highest mountain? Why fly the Atlantic?' Well, space is there, and we're going to climb it."

This spirit of adventure and the notion of embarking on challenges simply because they exist is at the core of Guinness World Records, the famous London-based book, TV and museum franchise. The first edition of the Guinness Book of Records the franchise later changed its name was published in 1955, as a reference guide to settle friendly arguments between drinkers in British and Irish pubs. Having long ceased its association with the drinks brand Guinness, it has since sold 155 million copies in more than 40 languages. The franchise is now celebrating its 70th anniversary.

Records galore

There are currently over 68,000 active record titles in all manner of categories, ranging from exploration, popular culture, business and transportation to technology, the human body and the natural world. But some of the most prominent of all are those in sport, strength, fitness and endurance.