Texas Team Smashes Pickleball World Record with 36-Hour Marathon Match

Everything’s bigger in Texas — and that includes pickleball marathons!

Pickleball Marathon?

A group of four determined Texans just wrapped up a 36-hour nonstop pickleball session in Carrollton, Texas, setting their sights on a Guinness World Record for the longest marathon playing the fast-growing sport.

The group, who proudly call themselves “The Pickle Breakers,” includes Chong Kim, Jaret Petras, Laura Maala, and Geneva Olson. They took over the courts at Pickler Universe starting at 6 a.m. Saturday and didn’t stop swinging until 6 p.m. Sunday.

Their goal? Break the current record of 34 hours, 5 minutes, and 55 seconds, set by a team in the U.K. last September. While Guinness still has to verify the evidence, The Pickle Breakers blew past that time with two hours to spare.

And yes — they actually played for the full 36 hours.

“They're tired. It’s been a long night,” Mark Olson, Geneva’s husband, told KWTX-TV with a chuckle. “But they did it.”

Pickleball for a Cause!

But this was more than just a record attempt. The marathon raised over $18,000 for Taylor’s Gift Foundation, a Texas-based nonprofit that supports organ donation and helps families dealing with the loss of a loved one.

For Geneva Olson, this challenge was deeply personal. Not only was she playing for a cause close to her heart, but she was also setting an example for her family.

“We’ve got four daughters,” Mark Olson said. “And she wants to prove to her daughters that she can do anything — and that they can do anything they put their minds to. That’s the kind of person she is. When she says she’s going to do something, she gets it done.”

What Happens Now?

The Pickle Breakers are now waiting for Guinness World Records to review the footage and officially crown them champions of the court. But even before the paperwork clears, they’ve already won something much bigger — the admiration of their community and a boost to an amazing cause.

So next time you’re feeling winded after one game of pickleball, just remember… somewhere in Texas, a team played for 36 hours straight!