Thais run circles around hula hoop record

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RANGSIT, Thailand, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- More than 4,000 Thais danced in circles -- namely hula hoops -- to set a world record for the most people dancing on one field with hula hoops, officials said.

For their hip-swinging efforts, Guinness World Records adjudicator Seyda Subasi-Gemici said the 4,483 people, mostly school children, successfully swung hula hoops to dance music for 7 minutes without interruption, smashing the former high mark, the Bangkok Post reported Wednesday.

The event drew more than 5,000 participants to a stadium at Thammasat University's Rangsit campus, but 517 contestants dropped out after their hula hoops dropped down.

The event, organized by the Public Health Ministry's Department of Health, had a goal of creating health awareness among Thais, the Post said.

The previous high mark was registered in Taiwan in 2011, when 2,496 participants swung hula hoops in a continuous motion for 2 minutes.