Abdul Hakim Awal, a 23-year-old journalist from Kumasi, Ghana, has officially been recognized by the Guinness World Records (GWR) as the new record holder for the longest “tree-hug-a-thon.”
In a post on the X platform, GWR announced that Abdul’s record-breaking attempt took place outside the Kumasi Cultural Centre, where he embraced a tree continuously for an astonishing 24 hours and 21 minutes.
This feat surpasses the previous record of 16 hours set by Ugandan environmental activist Faith Patricia Ariokot earlier this year. Abdul undertook this challenge to draw attention to the critical issue of nature conservation in Ghana. As part of his commitment, he pledged to plant a new tree for every minute of his record attempt, resulting in a promise to plant 1,461 trees.
Throughout the entire 24-hour duration, Abdul was not permitted any breaks; he remained standing with his arms wrapped around the tree, demonstrating extraordinary endurance.
His effort was so remarkable that GWR has now classified the record as the “longest marathon hugging a tree,” allowing future challengers to take breaks—up to two hours per day—to mitigate the risks associated with sleep deprivation.
Abdul’s motivation for this challenge is deeply rooted in his personal experiences. Having witnessed the effects of desertification on his family’s hometown of Garu, he hopes to inspire a nationwide tree-planting initiative in Ghana.
He expressed his concerns, saying, “We know how trees, an essential resource which the entire human race depends on, are becoming scarce in Ghana. Though we have been taught about preservation of trees since the early years of our lives, the contribution from everyone is not as significant as it should be. This attempt for the longest time to hug a tree, to me, spells out an important task to preserve human life by preserving trees.”
Interestingly, Abdul is not the first Ghanaian to set a tree-hugging world record this year. Forestry student Abubakar Tahiru previously made headlines for setting the record for the most trees hugged in one hour, with a total of 1,123 trees.
In a related note, an individual cork oak tree in France also claimed a Guinness World Records title this year, standing as the world’s tallest cork oak tree at a height of 21 meters (68.9 feet).