Crowd Foils Ostrich Record Attempt

Maybe it looked too delicious to resist or perhaps the hours of waiting had simply provoked appetites beyond control.

Whatever the reason, Iran's eccentric bid to set a world record for making the biggest-ever ostrich sandwich ended when the evidence was eaten by the hungry watching crowds.

Organizers were trying to enter the Guinness World Records by producing a 1,500-meter-long (4,921ft) sandwich containing one tonne of ostrich meat.

More than 1,000 cooks labored from early morning in Tehran's Mellat park to assemble the monster sandwich. But as soon as their task was completed, popular enthusiasm overwhelmed the need for attention to detail as crowds began devouring the snack before its measurements could be verified.

Chaotic scenes ensued as the sandwich was gobbled up, leaving Guinness representatives who were present unsure if a new standard had been set.

With local and international media on hand, organizers hope footage will be accepted as proof that the previous record of 1,378 meters, set in Italy in May, has been broken. "We still think the sandwich will be recorded because of all the evidence we will send them," organizer Parvin Shariati said.