h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Longest standing record in athletics?

H.

Longest jumping actually.

Standing is considered an athletic sport. Yet.

Please insert "n't" where appropriate.

'frain not. Jesse Owens' record lasted 25 years from 1935, Bob's on the other hand was a mere babe at 23.

Come to think of it, no one has got close to Mike Powell's current world record and that is now pushing 12 years old.

If you'll accept yacht racing as a sport (I do), I think it would be the America's Cup which the USA held for over a century. And now its owned by ... land-locked Switzerland. If there are any New Zealanders reading this, please don't flame the messenger.

And BTW, the Cup is not named after the country (or the continent) but after the yacht America, which won the first race in England, against a large English fleet. The story goes that the Queen asked "Who was second?", to which the famous response was "Your Highness, there is no second."