Guinness confirms Ron Wallace's 3,156lb pumpkin as heaviest ever, first giant to break the 3,000lb barrier

Ron Wallace's giant pumpkin is now officially the heaviest in the world. Guinness World Records has listed the Rhode Island grower's 3,156lb (1,431.5kg) pumpkin as the record holder, confirming a mark set at a weigh-off in Warren on 10 October 2026. Wallace's pumpkin is the first in history to go past 3,000lb. Guinness's confirmation comes less than a week after the record changed hands twice in a matter of days.

Confirmed in the record books

The Guinness World Records entry for the heaviest pumpkin now names Wallace. It gives the weight as 1,431.5kg and records that it was verified on 10 October 2026 at the Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off at Frerichs Farm in Warren, Rhode Island. US broadcaster Turn to 10 reported the recognition on Wednesday, 14 October.

Before the pumpkin went on the scale, officials from the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth, which oversees competitive giant-pumpkin weigh-offs, inspected it and confirmed it met competition standards. That step matters in this sport. A pumpkin with damage that reaches its inner cavity can be disqualified however much it weighs.

Ending Ian Paton's short reign

The record Wallace broke was set only a week earlier. British grower Ian Paton set a new record at the Wargrave weigh-off in England with "Bagheera", which weighed 1,295.8kg (about 2,857lb). That broke his own previous record.

Wallace's pumpkin beat it by nearly 300lb, or about 136kg. That is a huge jump in a sport where records usually move by small amounts.

Third record, three milestones

This is Wallace's third world record in roughly 35 years of growing giant pumpkins, and each one has broken a round-number barrier. His 2006 pumpkin weighed 1,502lb and was the first past 1,500lb. In 2012 he grew the first pumpkin over 2,000lb, at 2,009lb. Now he has the first one over 3,000lb.

He told Turn to 10 that this was his first season growing in a greenhouse. He credited near-perfect weather and a more scientific approach to the crop. His reaction was simple: "I was beyond happy when I saw the weight!"

He has said he is thinking about taking next season off to finish projects on his farm, but has not decided.

A record-breaking autumn for giant vegetables

The giant-pumpkin weigh-off season in the Northern Hemisphere runs through late September and October, and 2026 has been an unusually big year. As well as Paton's record in England and Wallace's in Rhode Island, Travis Gienger won the Half Moon Bay weigh-off in California for a fifth time this month with a 2,389lb pumpkin.

For growers in Southeast Asia, where the hot, humid climate makes giant-pumpkin growing very difficult, the numbers are hard to picture. Wallace's pumpkin weighs about as much as a small family car.

Key takeaways

• Guinness World Records lists Ron Wallace's 1,431.5kg (3,156lb) pumpkin as the heaviest ever.
• It was weighed and verified on 10 October 2026 in Warren, Rhode Island.
• It is the first pumpkin over 3,000lb, and it beat Ian Paton's week-old record by nearly 300lb.
• Wallace has now been the first grower past 1,500lb, 2,000lb and 3,000lb.

FAQ

What is the heaviest pumpkin ever grown? Ron Wallace's 1,431.5kg (3,156lb) pumpkin, weighed in Warren, Rhode Island, on 10 October 2026, according to Guinness World Records.

Whose record did Wallace break? British grower Ian Paton's, set a week earlier with "Bagheera", which weighed 1,295.8kg (about 2,857lb).

How are giant pumpkin records checked? Officials at sanctioned weigh-offs inspect each pumpkin to make sure it meets competition standards before it is weighed on certified scales. Guinness World Records then confirms the result for its record books.

Sources: Guinness World Records, Turn to 10 (WJAR), Boston 25 News