Ben Dancer completes a 176-hour GWR dance marathon in Lagos, surpassing the existing 127-hour mark pending official verification
Benjamin Daniel Gabriel, popularly known as Ben Dancer, completed a seven-day dance marathon at Freedom Park in Lagos on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, recording more than 176 hours as he seeks to establish a new Guinness World Records title for the longest dance marathon by an individual.
The 33-year-old dancer ended the physically demanding challenge at about noon after continuing for more than nine hours beyond his original 168-hour target.
According to his team, the final timer showed seven days, eight hours, 32 minutes and 59 seconds when the challenge came to an end.
The achievement places Daniel beyond the existing Guinness World Records mark of 127 hours, set by Indian dancer Srushti Sudhir Jagtap in 2023.
However, Daniel has not yet been officially recognised as the new record holder.
Guinness World Records said his application remains active and that evidence from the attempt must undergo its standard review and verification process before a new record can be confirmed.
“Benjamin’s application is active and we now eagerly await submission of his evidence, which will then go through our official review and verification process before any record can be confirmed,” a Guinness World Records spokesperson told the BBC.
The distinction is important because completing the required duration does not automatically make an attempt an official Guinness World Records achievement. The organisation must assess the submitted evidence against its specific record requirements.
For Daniel, the challenge was about more than endurance.
The professional dancer used the marathon to showcase Nigerian culture, incorporating different dance styles and musical traditions throughout the seven-day performance.
Afrobeats featured prominently, while fuji, jazz and zouk were also incorporated into the routine. Daniel also performed in traditional Nigerian clothing, including agbada and dashiki.
His team said the performance was designed to highlight Nigeria’s cultural diversity and introduce audiences to the country’s different dance traditions.
Supporters gathered at Freedom Park throughout the marathon, encouraging Daniel as he continued through long stretches of physical exertion.
The challenge required extensive preparation. Daniel, who has 18 years of professional dancing experience, underwent fitness training and modified his diet ahead of the attempt.
He was also permitted five minutes of rest for every continuous hour of activity during the marathon.
Medical personnel remained available throughout the challenge, while Daniel maintained his hydration and ate lightly to help him sustain the prolonged effort.
After completing the marathon, Daniel was taken to hospital for a medical check-up.
The medical assessment came after seven days of sustained physical activity, during which his body was subjected to considerable strain.
Daniel’s attempt also builds on a growing tradition of Nigerian performers using endurance challenges to draw international attention to the country’s creative talent.
His focus, however, was specifically on dance and cultural expression, with the marathon providing a platform for different Nigerian rhythms, costumes and performance styles.
The existing 127-hour record was established by Jagtap in 2023, meaning Daniel’s reported 176-hour-plus performance represents a substantial increase if Guinness World Records verifies all the submitted evidence.
The next stage will therefore take place away from the dance floor.
Daniel’s team must submit its evidence to Guinness World Records, after which the organisation will assess the material before determining whether the attempt satisfies the applicable rules.
Until that process is completed, Daniel can be described as having completed the record attempt, rather than as the confirmed Guinness World Records holder.
For now, the seven-day performance has given the Lagos dancer a remarkable endurance milestone and placed Nigerian dance firmly at the centre of an international record attempt.
If Guinness World Records validates the evidence, the marathon would give Daniel an official place in the record books and potentially add another notable chapter to Nigeria’s growing history of endurance-based record attempts.
