On October 6, two brothers – Ian and Stuart Paton – set a new world record for the heaviest pumpkin ever grown. The champion pumpkin beat the old world record by about 70 pounds (32 kilograms). It also set a new record for its size, measuring over 21 feet (6.4 meters) around.
Ian and Stuart Paton are twins. They’re now 64 years old. They have been growing pumpkins together for more than 50 years – since they were teenagers. And for much of that time, they have been trying to break the world record for the heaviest pumpkin.
But the brothers live in the United Kingdom, where the weather can make it hard to grow giant pumpkins. Record-setting pumpkins have often come from places with steady warm weather all through the summer.
(Source: Guinness World Records.)
The Patons have found ways to improve their growing methods and the conditions for their pumpkins over the years. They now grow their pumpkins in a greenhouse, which helps protect them from the weather.
Ian and Stuart are always working to improve their methods. “Every year we go through our blueprint [plan] on how to grow giant pumpkins and we add any improvements and new techniques,” said Ian.
They’ve come close to the record before. In 2022, they set the British record for heaviest pumpkin with a 2,656-pound, 9-ounce (1,205-kg) monster.
But the competition for the world record is strong. It may be surprising, but many of the people competing consider pumpkin-growing a “sport”. Even so, Ian Paton describes it as “the friendliest sport in the world.”
(Source: Guinness World Records.)
The brothers are Harry Potter fans, and the names of their pumpkins often come from these books. Their new, record-breaking pumpkin is called “Muggle”.
It set two new Guinness World Records. It’s officially the world’s heaviest pumpkin, weighing 2,819 pounds and 4 ounces (1,278.8 kilograms). That’s heavier than many cars. And it’s also the largest pumpkin by circumference (distance around), measuring 21 feet, 3.8 inches (6.49 meters).
The previous record was set in October of 2023, by American Travis Gienger of Minnesota. His pumpkin weighed 2,749 pounds (1,246.9 kilograms) and measured 21 feet, 1 inch (6.44 meters) around. Proving Mr. Paton’s claim about the friendliness of pumpkin-growing, Mr. Gienger congratulated the Paton brothers on their win.
The Patons have a strong bond and work well together, but they have slightly different plans for the future. “Stuart is retiring from growing pumpkins,” says Ian. “But I intend to keep growing.”
US Pumpkin Weigh-Off
A week after the Paton brothers set their new world record, Brandon Dawson won the 2025 Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off. That’s the biggest pumpkin-growing contest in the US.
(Source: Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off.)
Mr. Dawson’s pumpkin was much smaller than the world-record pumpkin, but it was still massive. It weighed 2,346 pounds (1,064 kilograms).
Perhaps more impressive, Mr. Dawson grew the pumpkin with his family as a hobby. In his regular job he works for the electric car maker Rivian.