The Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people dressed as Rocky Balboa was set Friday on the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps, where 570 Rockys turned out in gray sweatsuits, black high-top sneakers and black knit hats. The record came during a Rocky Run that marked the 50th anniversary of Sylvester Stallone’s 1976 classic.
The scene was built for the film and for the city that made it famous. Rocky turned Stallone into one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, and the character has become one of Philadelphia’s most beloved cultural icons, which is part of why hundreds were willing to spend a cold, drizzly day climbing the same steps in costume.
Andy Glass came to Philadelphia to verify the world record, and he said the event mattered because of the people behind the films as much as the films themselves. The attempt required at least 250 participants, and each one had to show up with all four pieces of Balboa’s outfit: a gray hoodie, gray sweatpants, a black-knit hat and black high-top Converse-style shoes. That is what kept the count official and what separated the record from a simple costume gathering.
Before the run, participants warmed up to “Eye of the Tiger” and other songs tied to the series, then set off in groups of 100, with the Rockys preparing to take on the 72 steps in front of them. Glass said Rocky’s spirit is unbreakable and Philadelphia’s spirit is unbreakable, and added, “Records are made to be broken.”
The final number, 570, is likely to stand as proof that the city still knows how to turn a movie scene into a public ritual. Glass said he would not be surprised if more record attempts come to the museum steps in the years ahead, and on Friday the biggest question was not whether the crowd would show up, but whether it would keep going until the count was official.
