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Last November, Nathan Young, Marcus Mollinga, Benny Evinson and David Davies played the World’s Longest Padel Match: 40 hours in Blackpool, certified by Guinness World Records as the longest marathon playing padel, raising money for the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Last year’s Community Spotlight tells how it came about.
From 26 to 28 November 2026, the World’s Longest Padel Match returns, with Nathan and Marcus joined by new players Charlotte and Toni for 50+ hours at Performance Padel Preston.
Their record has since been beaten, Nathan says, though not yet officially, and that was part of the motivation. The rest was a sense of a job still to do: working more closely with CHECT and telling its story better.
“With my distinct lack of natural talent, there aren’t many ‘amazing’ things I can do. For some reason my talent seems to be surviving silly endurance challenges!”
– Nathan Young
Two new faces
Marcus approached Toni first, and Toni said yes without hesitation. A former World Padel Tour player, he has the grit he will need, and Nathan is quick to point out that he brings far more than that: a wholesome presence and great energy.
Charlotte took a little more convincing, although she was the first to hint she might be interested. A firefighter, she is used to long days and hard graft, and Nathan describes her as hard as nails, with real spirit and determination. Both newcomers are a little nervous, as it is all new to them, but Toni spends every day on his feet and a long night shift is nothing unusual for Charlotte. Nathan has no doubt they have it in them.
Planning, this time
Play has to be continuous, and the players earn five minutes of rest for each hour on court, so sleep is off the cards. One change should help: they start at around lunchtime rather than 2am, which Nathan gives as one of the mistakes they made last time.
The main difference, in his words, is planning. Last year they largely improvised their way through. This time FuelHub is supplying the food for a second time running, George and the team at Y1 have provided the kit, and each player has bought a few pairs of shoes and, as Nathan puts it, a boatload of socks.
What weighs on him most is the pressure of pulling everything together. He and Marcus have been round the block, though, and feel better placed than they were in Blackpool. In Nathan’s words: no dread, just a few nerves.
Why Performance Padel Preston
Owners Roy and Robin are good friends, whom Nathan met a few years ago playing at a local outdoor facility, where a Tuesday night social soon spread across the working week. Nathan credits Robin, Roy and Victor at Performance Padel with always putting people first, and says the club has backed all sorts of initiatives in the year since it opened in Preston.
Practically, the team needed a second court to run a second record alongside the marathon, and a club setting means there is life around them. As Nathan says, a court can be a lonely place for 50 hours. Performance Padel feels like a home, and the right place for friends and family to gather, watch what he calls some abject walking padel and laugh at the players over a few beers.
A second record anyone can join
On 28 November, alongside the marathon, the team is hosting a second Guinness World Records attempt, and this one is open to the public: the largest padel winner-stays-on competition, run as a king and queen of the court. Each player plays at least one set, winners stay on court, and every participant is named in the record. The current mark is 52 people, set by GreenTEC Padel in Germany in July 2023. Nathan says the team needs at least 54 players to break it.
Last year plenty of people asked whether they could join the challenge, and the strict record rules limited who could take part. This time the door is open to anybody of any ability. To take part, message the team on Instagram at @worldslongestpadelmatch or register through the sign-up form.
Why CHECT
The cause is personal. Nathan was born with retinoblastoma, a rare eye cancer that affects babies and young children, and his daughter Izzy was diagnosed with it in 2020. CHECT is the only UK charity dedicated solely to families affected by the condition, and it receives no government funding.
Last year’s attempt raised in the region of £35,000, which Nathan describes as huge for a small charity. CHECT turns 40 next year, and for 2026/27 it hopes to invest £130,090 in new research, offer at least £12,000 in support grants and keep supporting every family and individual affected by retinoblastoma.
Nathan puts the numbers in context: £10 could fund a goodie bag for a CHECT Champion, £20 a support session for a newly diagnosed family, £50 a place at a regional event and £250 a grant for a family facing financial hardship. CHECT’s impact report tells last year’s story.
How to get involved
- Play: sign up for the king and queen of the court on 28 November via Instagram or the form above.
- Donate: give on GiveStar.
- Follow along: Instagram @worldslongestpadelmatch.
- Visit: Performance Padel Preston, 26–28 November 2026.
