Five young readers in Santo Domingo surpassed 500 hours of continuous reading aloud on Monday to reclaim the Guinness World Record for the Dominican Republic.
The marathon reading initiative, titled Juventud en Voz Alta, reached its 500-hour milestone at 2:00 p.m. on September 21 as relatives, friends, and onlookers celebrated at the venue.
Participants originally set out on August 31 to complete 480 hours of non-stop reading, but they chose to extend their attempt once they met their target.
Vice President Raquel Peña joined the celebration in Santo Domingo, taking up books alongside the team to read several chapters with the young participants. Peña has served as vice president of the Caribbean nation since August 2020.
The atmosphere at the location was filled with music, signs, laughter, and persistent applause as the clock passed the 500-hour mark. Neither heat nor fatigue diminished the enthusiasm of the crowd as the five participants completed the challenge.
Details of the marathon attempt
The reading marathon operated 24 hours a day over more than three weeks. The five participants rotated in scheduled relays to ensure that reading aloud continued without interruption at any point during the challenge.
Organizers broadcast the entire event live online, allowing students, families, and supporters across the nation to follow the progress of the attempt in real time.
The primary objective of the project was to return the world record for continuous reading aloud to the Dominican Republic. After reaching the required 480 hours, the five readers voluntarily decided to continue reading to surpass 500 hours.
Official certification and tributes
An official judge from Guinness World Records spoke at the venue to recognize the effort of the participants and their families during the ceremony.
Referencing verses by Dominican poet Pedro Mir, the judge said that five young people had made history again by returning the record for the most hours reading aloud to their country and its people, who should feel very proud.
Mir, who was declared the National Poet of the Dominican Republic by Congress in 1984, wrote his famous 1949 poem Hay un pais en el mundo, celebrating the identity and spirit of the nation.
Guinness World Records, the international organization based in London that tracks world achievements, officially issued the certification confirming the new continuous reading record.
Institutional support and public impact
Minister of Youth Carlos Valdez praised the determination of the five readers and highlighted their decision to push beyond the initial 480-hour requirement.
Valdez said that while reaching 480 hours met the original goal, the decision of the young participants to keep going demonstrated a commitment to taking the effort even further.
The Ministry of Youth is the government institution in the Dominican Republic responsible for formulating national youth policies and managing educational outreach programs.
As the initiative approaches its formal conclusion, Juventud en Voz Alta has transformed reading into a national event followed by students, families, businesses, media outlets, and citizens across the country.
