The longest pinewood derby track in the world

The track stretched 335 feet, 6 inches. That’s 111 yards, for you football fans out there.

If most pinewood derbies are sprints, consider this one the Boston Marathon.

On Oct. 7, 2012, the Boston Minuteman Council broke the Guinness World Record for the longest pinewood derby track with one stretching 320 feet. That beat the previous record by more than 50 feet.

Just how long was the track? Imagine you’re standing on the goal line of a football field. The track would stretch just past the back of the end zone on the other side.

Or consider this comparison: Most tracks, including the one I raced on as a Cub Scout, are 30 to 40 feet long, making this one roughly 10 times longer.

The design was inspired by the Zakim Bridge in Boston.

And they did it in style. The track, which started at a height of 15 feet, was modeled after Boston’s Zakim Bridge (seen at right), the world’s widest cable-stayed bridge.

The record-breaking attempt was part of the council’s SOAR (Scouting’s Outdoor Adventure on the River) event. Just from browsing the event’s Web site, it looked like a blast.

Congrats to all involved in this exciting accomplishment!


About Bryan Wendell 3282 Articles
Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting and a contributing writer.