Sarah grew a 170-pound marrow and broke the record

Sarah Whitty grew a 170-pound marrow this year, beating the previous North American record by a full seven pounds, according to the Maine Pumpkin Growers Association. The win came after a near miss. Last year she grew a 162.5-pound marrow, heavier than the U.S. record, only to be disqualified over a tiny split in the skin. Giant marrows split roughly 75 percent of the time, which makes the whole pursuit a slow exercise in worry. This season tested that. Two of her three marrows split early, leaving one. Then a Nor'easter dropped five inches of rain on her patch, so she threw a tarp over the entire plant and later cut off three-quarters of it to stop sudden growth surges. The marrow held. Online, people who had never met her watched the final week closely. "I've never been so invested in a Zucchini," one wrote. The strangers on the internet were invested.