PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The story of Rocky Balboa is one that audiences love and know well — of resilience, courage and perseverance despite the odds.
Fans honored his legacy 50 years after the film with a Guinness record gathering of people dressed as Rocky on Friday on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The uniform? A black beanie, gray sweatpants and sweatshirt, and black high-top Converse sneakers.
A growing number of Rockys gathered outside the museum steps Friday afternoon, cheering as stragglers showed up to help with the record attempt.
“What is your name?” » asked the announcer to a participant. “Rocky Balboa,” they replied.
A minimum of 250 people were expected to be present for the occasion, according to Guinness. The official record was certified with 570 participants, an announcer said.
The city has held a slew of events this month to honor its fictional underdog boxer, including a sprint up the stairs Rocky stormed into in the film, a new dedication marking the permanent installation of Rocky’s statue and a meat market challenge where fans can recreate a scene from the film where he trained by punching slices of frozen meat.
Once the world record was confirmed, the group ran up the stairs to pose for a photo in front of the museum.
On Saturday, tourism officials announced that 45,000 runners from all 50 states and 75 countries would participate in a citywide “Rocky Run.”
The 1976 film written by Sylvester Stallone tells the story of a small-time boxer from South Philadelphia who prepares to take on world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, fighting in the city to celebrate America’s bicentennial. Although he ultimately loses the fight, Rocky proves himself and wins the heart of Adrian, the salesman at the neighborhood pet store.
The film was made for less than a million dollars and Stallone was an unknown actor who wrote the script in a desperate attempt to get work.
THE the film won the Academy Award for Best Picture and became the highest-grossing sports film of the era. Its numerous spinoffs and sequels have allowed it to hold the record for the most successful sports film franchise, according to Guinness World Records.
Philadelphia held its first Rocky Day in 2023 with Stallone in attendance, expanding celebrations to a Week-long Rocky Fest the following year. The city kicked off this year’s festivities with the release of Stallone’s memoirs“The marches”, September 29.
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