A mom just sprinted barefoot across 100 meters of Lego to set a Guinness World Record—and parents everywhere know exactly how she built that skill.

In what might be the most parent-coded Guinness World Record ever, Gabrielle Wall from Christchurch, New Zealand, sprinted 100 meters barefoot over Lego bricks in just 24.75 seconds. The official record attempt—complete with a rainbow-streaked Lego runway—was shared online and has already racked up 8.4 million views.

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Why it resonates: the “mom badge of honor”

Parents cheered the speed, but what really resonated was how relatable it was: this is the ultimate mom badge of honor.

Some hilarious comments summed it up perfectly:

@W1lyman3 said: “She just smashed the world record for running on Lego barefoot… which only proves one thing: she’s 100% a mum. No Olympic training, no secret coaching—just years of midnight bathroom trips dodging Lego landmines left by her kids. Forget steel caps, this woman’s feet are forged in the fires of motherhood. .” 

And really, who else could endure this? For years, parents (moms in particular) have braved the infamous Lego ambush in dark hallways and toy-strewn living rooms. Gabrielle just turned that universal pain into glory.

Beyond the quirky record, this resonates with every parent  who’s hissed in pain after stepping on a Lego brick. The comments section became a communal laugh, with parents trading in-jokes:

@motherhood_running said: “Moms be like, hold my hoops—let’s go .”

@bobbyclark____ said: “Mums gotta get that coffee HAWT.”

It’s that shared wink of recognition: we’ve all been there, and now one mom has made it official.

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A playful celebration of “mom superpowers”

Motherhood requires strength in unexpected places—patience, flexibility, and yes, sometimes feet of steel. Gabrielle’s Lego dash is more than a quirky Guinness title. It’s a playful reminder of the resilience parents build in the everyday.

By setting the record, she gave parents everywhere a moment to laugh, wince, and nod in solidarity—because stepping on Lego has become a rite of passage in parenthood.

Gattem Venkatesh is known the world over for his beautiful sculptures at the micro level. What began as a hobby has exploded into a phenomenon all its own, and his artworks have inspired countless children and adults alike to search within themselves and create their own works of art.

Venkatesh is best known for his intricate miniature sculptures carved on the tips of pencils, chalk, bangles, toothpicks, and other materials — over 500 works and counting. He won the Guinness World Record title for the world’s smallest toothpick carving of the Empire State Building, was honored in India’s Limca Book of Records for the tiniest ship model, and was awarded the National Youth Award (India) for his social work teaching art and science to more than 24,000 students at over 80 schools.

Venkatesh also holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture and completed his master’s in urban planning in 2021 at New York Institute of Technology, but art is where his heart lives. That’s what has driven him to create his unique works, ever since he was a young student in Chinadoddigallu village in Andhra Pradesh, India. During a vacation after high school when he was 14, Venkatesh created a miniature model of the Hindu god Lord Ganesha out of boredom. His parents took notice and encouraged him to continue developing his art form, and that’s where his journey began.

To celebrate the US Independence Day holiday, he created a detailed miniature of the US Capitol Building.

Venkatesh creates his miniatures using surgical blades, cutters, and injection needles to carve out the minutest of details, each giving definition and form. He regularly collaborates with architects and engineers, painters and sculptors, and even fashion designers. It’s easy to see these relationships in the pieces he carves, with each evolving as his talent and style progress.

This article appeared in Make: Vol 92.