Maine woman grows record-breaking 170-pound zucchini, breaks North American and US records after 162-pound giant was disqualified over tiny split

A woman from Maine has made history after growing a 170-pound giant marrow zucchini, breaking both the North American and US records. Sarah Whitty of Damariscotta named the enormous vegetable “Secretariat” after successfully getting it through a series of challenges that could have easily ruined her record attempt.

Whitty had already come remarkably close to setting a record last year. She grew a giant marrow weighing 162.5 pounds, which was heavier than the then-US record of 152.5 pounds. However, the vegetable developed a tiny split, causing it to be disqualified from official competition. It was also just half a pound short of the North American record of 163 pounds.

According to the Maine Pumpkin Growers Association, splitting is a particularly common problem with giant marrows, with roughly 75% of the crop developing splits. That meant Whitty's record attempt this year required not only growing an enormous zucchini but also keeping it intact until judging.


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Sarah Whitty planted three giant marrows

Determined to break the record officially this time, Whitty planted three giant marrow plants. However, two of them eventually split, leaving her with just one viable contender.

The remaining plant then faced another major challenge when a Nor’easter brought around five inches of rain to the area. Concerned that the sudden increase in water could cause the giant marrow to grow too quickly and split, Whitty covered the entire plant with a tarp to protect it from the heavy rainfall. She later took an even more drastic step to protect the vegetable. Whitty reportedly had to cut off around three-quarters of the plant to prevent sudden growth surges that could trigger a split.

Despite the setbacks, the remaining giant marrow continued to grow without developing the damaging crack that had cost Whitty her record attempt the previous year.

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‘Secretariat’ weighs 170 pounds

When Whitty's giant marrow was finally weighed, it came in at 170 pounds, according to the Maine Pumpkin Growers Association.

The association said the vegetable was 7 pounds heavier than the previous North American record of 163 pounds, while also comfortably surpassing the previous US record of 152.5 pounds.

In a social media post celebrating the achievement, the Maine Pumpkin Growers Association congratulated Whitty for breaking the North American record and highlighted the extraordinary difficulty of growing a giant marrow without it splitting.

The achievement was particularly significant for Whitty because of what happened the previous year. Her 162.5-pound marrow would have surpassed the US record, but the tiny split meant it could not officially count.

This time, after losing two of her three plants, protecting the surviving plant from a Nor’easter and cutting away much of the foliage to control its growth, Whitty finally managed to produce a record-breaking 170-pound giant marrow zucchini.

"Congratulations to Sarah Whitty for breaking the North American record with her 170-pound giant marrow (zucchini)! Giant marrows have roughly a 75% split rate, and last year Sarah grew a 162.5-pound marrow that was disqualified because of a tiny split. It was heavier than the U.S. record of 152.5 pounds and just half a pound shy of the North American (Canadian) record of 163 pounds. This year, she set out to break that U.S. record, for real this time.

After planting three plants, two marrows split, leaving just one. Then a Nor’easter dumped 5 inches of rain on her patch. Sarah covered the entire plant with a tarp and eventually had to cut off three-quarters of the plant to prevent sudden growth surges that could trigger a last-minute split. But the marrow held strong. It came in at 170 pounds, a full 7 pounds over the previous North American record!," a post from