Kentucky 9-year-old hops into Guinness record book

A 9-year-old Kentucky boy has turned playground chalk into a Guinness World Records title, completing a hopscotch challenge in 48.27 seconds, United Press International reported.

Daxton Hunter, of Bowling Green, set the under-16s record for the fastest time to draw and complete a hopscotch run, according to Guinness World Records. The task required him to draw a 10-square course, number it and then hop through it.

That is a lot to squeeze into less than a minute. Hunter got it done in 48.27 seconds, enough for Guinness to recognize the mark in its official listing.

The record bid was not a random backyard whim, according to UPI. Hunter told WBKO-TV that his family had already been collecting Guinness titles.

"My dad got one for biking most states. My brother for one just a few months back -- so I'm like, 'Oh, well if my whole entire family is going to get one, why can't I get one?'" Hunter told the station.

After deciding he wanted a record of his own, Hunter looked through possible Guinness challenges, UPI reported. He settled on hopscotch, a classic blacktop game with a stopwatch twist.

The successful attempt put him in the Guinness World Records database for the fastest time to draw and complete a hopscotch run in the under-16s category.

His mother, Amelia Hunter, told WBKO-TV she was not surprised to see him chase a difficult goal.

"I knew he could tackle challenges because he likes to do hard things, and once he sets a goal, I know he's going to do it. So, he picked one, he set his goal, and it's great to see that's how he accomplished it," she said.

The record gives Daxton his own spot in the family’s Guinness run. His father and brother already had titles, according to his comments to WBKO-TV, and now the Bowling Green 9-year-old has joined them with chalk, numbers and a very quick set of hops.

This story draws on original reporting from UPI.