A new world record was set at Knockaloe Farm on Saturday, as thousands of people gathered to celebrate the birthplace of Pilates.

A total of 2,804 participants successfully broke the world record for the largest number of people performing the standing roll down exercise simultaneously for one minute before taking part in an attempt to set the record for the world's largest Pilates class.

It beat the former record of 250 participants.

While the main attempt attracted an impressive turnout, it fell short of the existing record of 3,486 participants, set in Turkey in 2013.

The event was held at Knockaloe Farm, where Joseph Pilates began developing the exercise system during his internment in the First World War. The 30-minute standing class, led by instructor Hannah Storey, featured several original exercises created at the site more than a century ago.

There was a brief delay before the record attempt began due to the large number of people arriving at the venue.

Among those taking part were actor John Rhys-Davies, broadcaster Noel Edmonds, Chief Minister Alfred Cannan alongside His Excellency Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer and Lady Lorimer.

John Rhys-Davies said, ‘I’m sorry that we didn’t manage to bring up 3,500 people but I’ll tell you this Guiness Book of World Records, the Isle of Man will be back and we’ll do this and we’ll take that world record - because thats what we do here.’