Habibat Salawudeen Crosses 100-Hour Mark in 144-Hour Bible Reading Marathon

​PORT HARCOURT, NIGERIA — In a historic display of spiritual resilience and physical endurance, a Nigerian woman, Habibat Salawudeen Ihiovi-Jack, has advanced into the final leg of her ambitious bid to secure a place in the Guinness World Records for the longest Holy Bible reading marathon.

​The extraordinary endurance challenge, appropriately tagged “144 Hours in the Word,” kicked off on Monday, June 22, 2026, at the upscale Novotel hotel in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. It is scheduled to officially reach its climax on July 2, 2026, subject to the meticulous review and verification guidelines stipulated by the Guinness World Records (GWR) authorities.

​By Sunday morning, Habibat had triumphantly crossed the grueling 100-hour milestone, drawing closer to her 144-hour target. Digital countdown timers at the venue have captured her progress alongside live broadcast snippets circulating across major social media platforms. The footage shows her maintaining a steady pace, reading aloud from the sacred scriptures while alternating between standing at a beautifully adorned lectern and sitting at a reading desk.

​Under the strict protocols established by the GWR team, the marathon demands that the contender reads continuously and aloud, with only highly regulated, fractional rest breaks permitted for vital needs and brief moments of physical relief.

​Far from being just a quest for global recognition, the Port Harcourt-based contender, who is a dedicated member of The Summit Bible Church, described the monumental feat as an intensely personal, faith-driven mission. According to Habibat, the endurance run was conceived primarily to reignite a passion for scriptural engagement and encourage Christians around the world to cultivate a deeper, more intentional relationship with the Bible.

​This profound sentiment has been strongly echoed by her spiritual leader, Dr. Andy Osakwe, the Senior Pastor of Summit Bible Churches Worldwide. Offering his full endorsement and prayers for the challenge, Dr. Osakwe emphasized that the marathon transcends a mere race for a plaque. He characterized it as a profound “spiritual assignment” designed to exalt the word of God and serve as a beacon of inspiration for believers globally.

​The atmosphere at Novotel remains charged with religious fervor and communal solidarity. A steady stream of family members, friends, church congregants, and enthusiastic well-wishers have taken up residence at the venue, offering continuous cheers, hymns, and prayers to bolster her morale as fatigue sets in. Online, the response has been equally massive, with thousands of Nigerians offering virtual support and praising her dedication.

ADVERTISEMENT

​Habibat’s push comes on the heels of a massive wave of record-breaking attempts sweeping across Nigeria, a cultural phenomenon sparked by chef Hilda Baci’s famous cooking marathon. Notably, her attempt follows the official recognition of another Nigerian, 27-year-old Samson Ajao from Ibadan, who captured the world record for the longest marathon reading aloud in 2024. Ajao read non-stop for an astonishing 215 hours (nearly nine days), shattering the previous 124-hour record held by Kyrgyzstan’s Rysbai Isakov since 2022.

​As Habibat Salawudeen navigates the final days of her grueling 144-hour challenge, her supporters remain highly optimistic. Win or lose, many believe she has already achieved her core purpose: redirecting the public’s spotlight back to the foundational tenets of faith and scripture.