Two friends in California unite their “inner kids” to conquer LEGO World Map speed record
A grand total of 11,695 pieces make up the LEGO® World Map – a giant, colourful assemblage of circular studs that combine to make a textured model of the globe. To date, it's still the largest commercially available 2D LEGO® set of all time, confounding LEGO-lovers and master builders alike.
Nevertheless, a pair of friends in the Bay Area, California, USA, were able to conquer the Earth in less than five hours, setting a world record while delighting their inner child at the same time.
On 12 April this year, Athena Leong (Singapore) and Sevy Swift (USA) took on the title for the fastest time to build the LEGO World Map (team of two) at Brick by Brick Toys.
Strategically separating the countries by colour, and speeding through the entire set before dinnertime, the pair completed the map in a record-breaking time of just 4 hrs 59 min 51 sec.
Their combined effort also was better than the individual record for the fastest time to build the LEGO World Map, held by Clarry Farkash (Australia) since 2023 with a duration of 7 hr 9 min 41 sec. Though they did have an extra set of hands, however, so Clarry still holds his title!
In their joint application to GWR, Athena is credited with coming up with the idea to attempt the title, saying that she has loved playing with LEGOs for as long as she can remember.
“When I was little, LEGO gave me the tools to express my imagination long before I had the skills or resources to bring my ideas to life in any other way,” she said. “When I met Sevy a year ago, we quickly bonded over our shared love of LEGO, along with many other interests.
“Attempting this Guinness World Records title feels like an amazing way to celebrate our friendship and how much LEGO has influenced who we are today.”
Read more stories about LEGO in our dedicated Hobbies and Skills section!
Athena and Sevy hugging a LEGO giraffe
So together, the pair purchased the LEGO World Map, and went about practising for their big day.
They told local news site The Pioneer Online that they worked on the build for roughly a month, before honing down their skills the week before the attempt. Their intended strategy was to break apart the board by working on one colour at a time, then assembling major portions that they could snap on to the map like puzzle pieces.
Finally, the day arrived, and Athena and Sevy showed up at Brick by Brick – a secondhand LEGO store in California – ready to make history.
Plugging in their headphones, and stopping only for short breaks, the duo were absolutely locked in on their respective pieces, to the delight of the rest of the public shoppers that were visiting the store.
Turns out that time flies when you’re having fun – and just a few seconds shy of five hours into their attempt, Sevy and Athena clicked on the final piece of one of the largest LEGO sets in history.
“I’ve loved LEGO forever, but it’s always been a solo activity,” reminisced Sevy after the attempt. “I saw this as a way to share my inner kid with Athena’s inner kid, and together get something out of it that we could share.
“A record is not only a challenge to overcome, but an identity that Athena and I chose to have together.”
And we’re sure that no matter what happens, these two record holders will always be able to cherish this incredible shared accomplishment.
Congratulations, Sevy and Athena – you are Officially Amazing!