LinkedIn's World's Largest Centipede

May 19, 2010:




LinkedIn is celebrating the achievement of creating the world’s largest centipede to ever run (okay, stroll) the ING Bay to Breakers. On May 16th, at the obnoxious hour of five am, thirty LinkedIn team members gathered in San Francisco to attempt the monumental task of creating an in person manifestation of a LinkedIn network. Their mission: to connect at least 2,027 people at one of the world’s largest foot races, in an attempt to break the Guinness world record for longest human centipede.

Armed with megaphones and 5 miles worth of “Connect with me” police tape, LinkedIn hit the streets looking to sign up volunteers. Like any new network, the first few hundred people were hard to assemble, as convincing people to tie themselves to thousands of other people is much harder than it sounds. But volunteers pressed on turning skeptics into participants and hastily gathered the signatures needed to serve as proof to scrutinizing Guinness Book of World Records’ judges. The LinkedIn centipede began to grow through word of mouth, each new member asking another new member to join in.

Ten minutes before the start, the centipede hit critical mass and pandemonium ensued. At this point, LinkedIn had documented over 1,600 people (including 4 Elvis’s, a few dozen clowns, and a handful of chickens), but LinkedIn's diligent process went out the window as the centipede took on a life of its own. Sign up sheets were ditched as volunteers worked at breakneck speed to connect the swarms of people who rushed to join in the final minutes before the start.

In the end, LinkedIn's historic arthropod stretched over several blocks and continued to add new connections as the front of the creature marched forward. A big thank you to all who participated and the tireless efforts of Elizabeth Guerra, who reviewed the signature lists and video footage to deem whether LinkedIn's efforts can be submitted for the official title. All participants had great fun connecting and taking part in this irreverent Bay Area tradition. The final count is now in, and LinkedIn has 2,375 signatures which have been submitted to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Check out the entire set of pictures taken at ING Bay to Breakers here.