Dundee’s piggyback world record won for the city last year when 320 runners and riders stampeded across Magdalen Green during WestFest has been officially ratified.
A certificate from the Guinness Book of World Records was handed over to Dundee University lecturer Dominic Venditozzi and his six-year-old daughter Lola at the bandstand on Magdalen Green.
The presentation was held a few yards from their triumph at the WestFest event in June last year, when the family team outsprinted 318 other competitors over 100 metres, breaking the tape at 15.65 seconds, to hold the record.
WestFest chairwoman Paola McClure congratulated Dominic and Lola on their achievement and said their success would remain unique in the city, at least for the foreseeable future.
”It was a wonderful day last year and a really great, fun event,” she said. ”The piggy-back race was a great community event and we are very proud of the people of Dundee for getting involved and making it such a success.”
Paola revealed planning for next year’s WestFest is already under way and involves a change of date for Big Sunday at Magdalen Green along with other event rearrangements.
Last year’s event involved the piggy-back race, a classic car event, beer tent, dog display, various stalls and The Courier’s Rocktalk/Fat Sams stage, where six local bands delighted the huge crowd in dazzling sunshine.
Paola said: ”Next year we’ve decided to hold Big Sunday at the start of the festival, a week earlier on June 10. It gives it a good launchpad and means we can also have a big closing event the following week.
”We’ve applied to Creative Scotland for funding and hopefully that will allow us to hold a special closing event at Balgay Park on Sunday June 17.
”Like everything else though, it’s all about the funding.”