Guinness World Records (GWR) has refuted Ghanaian chef Chef Smith’s claim of holding the longest cooking marathon title, declaring the certificate he presented as fake.

The clarification came in response to an inquiry by Derek Edem Kojo, a journalist from GhOne TV.

Madalyn Bielfield, the PR Manager for Guinness World Records, confirmed that the current record holder is Alan Fisher from Ireland, not Chef Smith.

“No, this is not true at all. He does not hold the GWR title and that is not our certificate,” Bielfield stated, affirming the doubts raised by many regarding the authenticity of the certificate displayed by Chef Smith.

Chef Smith made the announcement during a press conference at La Palm Hotel in Accra on Tuesday, July 2, 2024.

He declared himself the new Guinness World Record title holder for the longest individual cooking marathon, claiming to have achieved a time of 802 hours and 25 minutes.

“I am deeply humbled and honoured to announce that I am now the new world record holder for the cook-a-thon,” Chef Smith proclaimed during the conference.

The certificate shown at the event read: "The longest cooking marathon (individual) is 802 hours 25 minutes and was achieved by Ebenezer Smith (Ghanaian) in Spintex, Accra, Ghana. From 1 February to 6 March, 2024."

However, the assertion and the certificate were both swiftly debunked by Guinness World Records. The organization confirmed that the record remains with Alan Fisher, whose verified time stands unchallenged.