Every day, parents push strollers through parks, sidewalks, and grocery store aisles – sometimes in a leisurely stroll and other times as road warriors in a desperate sprint to catch a bus or calm a fussy baby.  Strollers jostling everything from diaper bags, stuffed animals, a morning coffee, and yes, a baby in tow, it’s a quiet, universal act of love and endurance. But one father, Brendan Neely of Toronto, took stroller-pushing to the next level, turning an everyday parenting task into a record-breaking feat. On May 1st, Neely set a Guinness World Record (male) for the fastest time running 1km while pushing a single baby stroller with his 17-month-old son Jack safely buckled in. His record-beating time of 2 minutes and 51 seconds was 28 seconds faster than the previous record of 3 minutes and 19 seconds.   

An unusual feat, but for Neely, staying in peak physical condition is his day job. “As a firefighter and a competitive obstacle course racer, maintaining top fitness is essential, so running and training are both an extension of my work and a passion of mine,” he explains. That’s why when Neely approached Baby Jogger (Babyjogger.ca) about his Guinness World Record proposal – Adham Elshennawy, Senior Marketing Manager, Baby Jogger (Newell Brands), jumped on board. After all, having the right equipment would be key to breaking the record. 

Without a doubt – as any parent can attest – no two strollers are the same. So, for those juggling both a workout and a stroll with their child, the Baby Jogger Summit X3 could be just what you need. Now, perhaps setting a Guinness World Record (GWR) isn’t your goal. Still, if you need a high-performance stroller with all-wheel suspension and a front-wheel swivel lock that provides a smooth ride for your precious cargo over any terrain, then the Baby Jogger Summit X3 is ready for the challenge.

But running while pushing a stroller under GWR rules requires some adjustments, especially since the runner must have continuous contact with the stroller without using it to support his weight. 

“That’s one of the challenges I faced,” says Neely, “adjusting to running without being able to swing both arms, which is a natural movement and propellant when running. That’s why I trained for this world record for months using two different Baby Jogger strollers: the Baby Jogger Summit X3 and the Baby Jogger City Prix cross bike trailer, which I attached to my bike and helped with my endurance cross-training.” 

The second challenge was accounting for the curves on a running track. “When I’m running on the street or even a trail, it’s a lot of straightaways, but with the track, it’s all curves, so you must train yourself to push and steer simultaneously. By the end, I forgot I was even pushing a stroller, except when I could feel Jack’s feet kicking because he was so happy to go so fast.” 

So, what are you waiting for? Parenthood doesn’t mean giving up on adventures–bring your kids along for the ride. 

“I hope that my boys, 17-month-old Jack and 3-year-old Finn, who were my co-pilots and trained alongside me, learn to dream big, as big as a GWR – if that’s what they want to achieve. I also want them to understand that dreams require determination, practice and resilience and that hard work is essential. And their family will support them every step of the way.”