Paul Wozny, principal of Leduc Junior High School, is a player and organizer of the world record-breaking attempt. (Niall McKenna/CBC News)About two dozen players in Leduc, Alta. surpassed the world record for the longest indoor soccer match on Friday after playing for 24 hours straight.
The game at the Leduc Recreation Centre started at 9 a.m. Thursday. The team broke the official world record of 24 hours Friday morning.
"We all care about our community. We rallied together and we did it," said organizer and player Paul Wozny, the principal of Leduc Junior High School.
Although the players have broken the official world record, they were expected to keep playing on Friday.
A group in New York State played for 34 straight hours last fall, an unofficial record that is under review by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Players celebrate after playing soccer for 24 hours, breaking the previous official world record. (Niall McKenna/CBC News)The Leduc players want to surpass that record by playing for 36 hours. They have split themselves into two teams - blue and yellow. At noon, blue was leading, 262 to 248.
The game hasn't been easy -- some of the players suffered new injuries or aggravated old ones overnight.
The players come from all walks of life, including a teacher, police officer, banker, a carpenter and post-secondary students.
Massage therapists and physiotherapists also donated their time.
Wozny he's been practicing for the big day by playing games every Saturday for the last five months, sometimes for as long as six hours.
"I've lost almost 24 pounds in the last five months playing soccer," he said.
The game was set up to promote the Healthy Hearts project which aims to make students in the region more active and tracking their health and fitness.
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