EDP sets Guinness World Record for the highest number of high fives ever recorded in a marathon
Over the 42 kilometres of the EDP Lisbon Marathon, held this Saturday between Cascais and Lisbon, thousands of people responded to EDP’s challenge and helped transform a simple high five into a wave of energy with social impact.
Through the EDP High Five initiative, a new Guinness World Record was set for the highest number of high fives given during a marathon, reaching a total of more than seven thousand high fives, officially validated by Guinness World Records.
The initiative was led by five marathon runners specially selected for this mission: Pedro Fernandes, Glória Dias, Leonardo Viegas, Anthony Vincent and Lydia Oldham. Equipped with technological gloves designed to count every interaction in real time, the participants completed the marathon while encouraging runners and spectators to join this positive movement of energy.
Created in the year EDP celebrates its 50th anniversary, the initiative aimed to demonstrate that when thousands of people come together around a common purpose, a simple gesture can become a collective action with real impact. The creative concept behind EDP High Five was developed in collaboration with NOSSA agency. Participation throughout the race not only made it possible to establish a new Guinness World Record, but also generated tangible support for eight social organisations.
The initiative will benefit Associação do Moinho, ASSACM, CAZAmbujal, CESIS, AMRT, START.SOCIAL, Centro Social do Soutelo and Centro Juvenil Padre Amadeu, organisations that collaborate with the EDP Clube Runners project and play an essential role in promoting sport among children and young people from socio-economically vulnerable communities. Through EDP High Five, EDP will provide these eight organisations with a monetary donation equivalent to what they would spend on one year of energy, reinforcing its commitment to the communities where it operates.
“This world record is much more than a number. It demonstrates that the most powerful energy is the one we can generate when we bring people together around a common purpose. In the year we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we wanted to transform the EDP Lisbon Marathon, an event we have been associated with for decades, into an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those who need it most. This is the energy we want to continue mobilising: an energy that brings people together, creates opportunities and leaves a positive mark on communities,” said Catarina Barradas, EDP’s Global Brand Director.
To track the initiative, 10 high-tech gloves equipped with integrated sensors capable of counting each high five in real time were connected to a platform responsible for recording the interactions and converting them into kWh.
With this initiative, EDP reinforces its long-standing connection to athletics and the Lisbon Marathon, demonstrating how the energy generated through sport can go far beyond competition. Because for EDP, energy does not end at the finish line. It becomes opportunities for communities, support for those who need it most, and a positive impact on people and the planet.