Thousands of Rutgers students gathered on the university football field to set the Guiness world record for planking. Watch video
PISCATAWAY -- It was an honorable try, but Rutgers fell just short Tuesday evening of setting the Guinness world record for the most people planking at one time.
On the field of High Point Solutions Stadium, 1,163 participants -- made up of students, faculty and staff -- gathered to attempt the record for the most people to simultaneously hold the planking position for one minute.
However, the group came just shy of beating the current record set in China last November of 1,323 people.
When the announcer informed the group that it had not set the record, there was a collective sigh of disappointment. Nevertheless, participants still cheered and danced after the event.
Devin Yunis, a freshman at Rutgers, was walking up the steps of the stadium after the attempt.
"It was exhilarating," he said. "Not too many times do you get a chance to do something like that."
Before the attempt, Rutgers junior Lindsey Lawrence, who does yoga and Zumba, said she felt the group was up to the task.
"We have been practicing in our fitness class," said Lawrence, who is a psychology major.
She also said, "I never have been on the football field and wanted to be part of breaking a World Record. I thought that would be cool."
A plank is completed by resting one's body weight on his or her forearms while parallel to the ground. The participant's shoulders, ankles and hips must not sag and the person's hands must be shoulder-width apart.
Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.