From www.indystar.com

LEBANON -- This tiny city now has a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

With both fists raised in the air, hundreds of family and friends cheering and a big hug from his wife, Gene Wethington bowled his way onto the book's pages Monday by topping the old record of 52 hours and 15 minutes of continuous kegling.

"It's a big relief," said Wethington, 52, as he briefly paused before extending his record. "This is a great community. They've been behind me 100 percent. You couldn't ask for better people."

At the 52-hour, 16-minute mark -- the moment Wethington broke the record in the Lebanon Bowling Center -- he had logged 270 games and knocked down 31,789 pins. His best game was a 225, which came early. His worst game came when the right-hander bowled entirely left-handed to log a 48.

He didn't sleep, and his fingers became too swollen for his 15-pound ball. Folks donated lighter balls -- as light as 10 pounds -- and drilled them with wider holes so he could keep going.

Following Guinness rules, he was allowed a 15-minute break every eight hours. Wethington spent that time using the restroom, smoking, relaxing in a chair for a rubdown, having his fingers retaped and, because he has high blood pressure, having his blood pressure checked.

Ben Gay patches, a tub of Mineral Ice and other pain relievers also were on hand if needed.

But he never slept.

Wethington said getting through the mental aspect of the challenge was more difficult than the physical.

He even considered quitting.

"I kept asking myself why," he said. "I haven't had much in my life, so it kept me going."

Wethington scheduled the event during his workplace's annual holiday shutdown. The bowling establishment stayed open around the clock during the two-plus days for Wethington and anyone who wanted to join him.

Even during the early morning hours of the first night, the center had a two-hour wait to bowl.

He bowled in tennis shoes for comfort, and suffered little pain in his arms and shoulders. In fact, his biggest complaint was the middle finger on his right hand.

But Wethington didn't endure the pain solely for himself or the record.

He sought sponsors and at last count had raised about $3,000 for Boone County Special Olympics and the bowling center's junior bowlers league.

Wethington also credited much of the feat to his wife, an avid bowler herself, who only left the bowling center twice.

With one hour left, though, adrenaline took over as the 18-lane bowling center filled with supporters.

Cigarette smoke wafted past posters touting Budweiser and the Indianapolis Colts. With each strike Wethington threw, shouts of "Bingo" erupted.

With 15 minutes to go, a loudspeaker announcement asked league bowlers, including his wife, to stop and turn their attention to Wethington.

On Lane 1, where he had spent virtually the past 52 hours, Gene continued.

"I'm getting nervous now," he said, as he chugged a bottle of orange Gatorade. "I'm trying to find a strike. I can't get one."

The automotive worker, who actually bowls seven nights a week, started up again with two strikes and cheers from the crowd. Though he only knocked down seven pins with his record-setting ball, it seemed as if he had just bowled a perfect 300 game.

"I feel like Papaw won, and he is very famous," said Jordan Norris, his 6-year-old granddaughter.

Wethington called himself nuts for doing it but kept at it until 9:04 p.m. -- more than 54 hours -- to ice the record.

"He's got heart," said bowling buddy Thaddeus Beaty. "This is great for the city and this bowling center because we are trying to get it built back up.

"I didn't think he could do it, but he proved everyone wrong."

Call Star reporter Josh Duke at 1-317-444-2605.


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