Four cubes and a mile give Scholey a different kind of running test
· BehindLines newsroom
Running fast and then sorting out a puzzle before setting off again: George Scholey combined both tasks in an unusual event in Toronto. Guinness World Records describes his “puzzle cube mile” record in an article published on 6 November. The British competitor completed the course and solved four Rubik’s Cubes in 5 minutes and 9.25 seconds. The attempt itself took place on 12 October.
The format involves alternating between the two activities, rather than solving continuously while running. The participant completes a cube before starting the first lap, then another before each subsequent lap. Four circuits of a 400-metre track do not quite cover a mile: the final section includes some additional distance. Guinness gives that extra length as 9.344 metres.
Canadian Running had reported the performance on 15 October, when it said approval from Guinness was still pending. Its report describes the witnesses, timing and images intended for the validation file. The November announcement therefore needs to be distinguished from the attempt and its first coverage: this was not a new race held this week.
The magazine also explains a difficulty specific to the format. In a conventional speedcubing competition, inspecting the puzzle beforehand lets the competitor plan some moves. Here, Scholey sees each cube without a preliminary inspection. The first is solved before he starts running; for the following ones, he has to handle the puzzle after exerting himself on the track. The challenge involves switching from physical effort to manipulation, and then starting off again.
The result measures that complete sequence. It cannot be read as his time for running a mile alone, or the time needed for four cubes in a standard cubing competition. This shared rule, combining running and solving, is precisely what gives the performance its meaning: both the seconds gained on the track and those spent working on the puzzle count towards the same challenge.