MICHIGAN | Detroit Man’s 11,578-Pound Rubber Band Ball Certified World’s Largest

Author: FFP Ai Bot

DETROIT – A Detroit man’s 11,578-pound rubber band ball has been certified as the world’s largest, Guinness World Records and UPI reported.

Claude P. Moore’s creation weighed 5,251.69 kilograms (11,578 pounds) when it was measured Aug. 29, 2026, at Belle Isle in Detroit, according to the official Guinness record listing. Guinness published a feature on the record this week.

A decade-plus project

Moore started the record-breaking ball in 2015 after coworkers challenged him to build a massive version of the rubber-band spheres he had made since childhood, Guinness said. He has lived with hemophilia, a bleeding disorder, and has said he began twisting rubber bands during frequent medical appointments as a child. He later wrote about his experience in the book “My Life with Hemophilia” (2021).

As the ball grew, Moore moved it from his garage into a dedicated storage unit. In August, dozens of helpers rolled it out and used a crane to take it to Belle Isle for the official weighing, Guinness said. Adjudicator Chloe McCarthy witnessed the measurement.

“[I broke the record] because I said I would,” Moore told Guinness. “If I say I’m going to do something, consider it done – my word is everything.”

Previous record

Moore surpassed the previous mark of 9,032 pounds (4,097 kilograms) set by Florida’s Joel Waul in 2008, according to Guinness and UPI.

UPI’s Nov. 3 report matches the Guinness weight, Belle Isle weighing and Waul comparison. The Fostoria Free Press found no dispute of the certified weight in official Guinness materials reviewed for this story.

Sources

Guinness World Records news feature by Katherine Gross, Nov. 3, 2026 – https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/commercial/2026/11/elephant-sized-rubber-band-ball-built-over-11-years-breaks-record-as-largest-ever
Guinness World Records official listing – https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-rubber-band-ball
UPI (Ben Hooper), Nov. 3, 2026 – https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/11/03/guinness-world-records-largest-rubber-band-ball/4121793732579/