(U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.) — Ahead of the Navy vs. Air Force rivalry game on Saturday, Oct. 3, the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) officially broke the Guinness World Record for the most people simultaneously performing push-ups for one full minute, an accolade previously held by the U.S. Naval Academy.
USAFA said the achievement was reached during an academy-wide challenge held at 11:57 a.m. on Friday. With 3,703 cadets and personnel completing the synchronized exercise, USAFA eclipsed the previous world record of 3,068 participants held by the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
“At the Academy, our mission is to develop leaders and warfighters ready to fight, win, and lead in service to our nation,” said Brig. Gen. Brandon J. Tellez, Academy commandant of cadets. “This world record attempt is about more than earning a place in the record books. It reflects the discipline, grit, and shared purpose we work to build every day in the Cadet Wing. Navy set a formidable benchmark, and our cadets answered the challenge. As we head into Saturday’s game, this effort serves as another reminder of what happens when disciplined teams unite behind a common objective.”
Participants were required to maintain repeated, full-range push-ups—descending to a 90-degree elbow bend and locking out at the top of each repetition—over sixty consecutive seconds, adhering strictly to official Guinness World Records regulations…