Five elite European gamers have set a Guinness World Record for the longest video marathon on a racing game, after playing Forza Motorsport 6 for more than two days.

They played the game for 48 hours, 29 minutes and 21 seconds to break the previous record, taking on a simulated version of the La Sarthe circuit – home to the real-life Le Mans 24 Hours race – in a digital Ford GT race car using an Xbox One console. The previous record stood at 48 hours and one minute.

Over the course of their world record race, which was held at Ford's European headquarters in Cologne, the gamers covered a combined 25,479 miles over 3,015 laps.

They relied on power naps, soft drinks and sweets to get them through the attempt.

Ford Chip Ganassi Racing driver Stefan Mücke, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship in the Ford GT and started the virtual race, said: 'They did an amazing job. Just like driving at the real Le Mans, this achievement required extreme levels of concentration, attention to detail and, most importantly, endurance because they had to keep going for twice as long as we did.'

The virtual racers averaged 603 laps of the circuit each during their world record attempt, compared with Mücke's 136 laps in nine hours, five minutes and 40 seconds of real-life racing.

Lena Kuhlmann, official adjudicator for Guinness World Records, said: 'For me, it's incredible to see anyone stay up all night, whether it's for a bumper car marathon or four days of watching television.

'Two days of race gaming is a superlative effort. The endurance of the gamers is remarkable. They were engaged, concentrating and having fun even after the record was broken.'

In other Ford GT-related news, the manufacturer has announced it will extend the supercar's production run by two years.

Dave Pericak, global director of Ford Performance, said: 'While we can't build enough Ford GTs for everyone who has applied, we are going to produce additional vehicles in an effort to satisfy more of our most loyal Ford ambassadors.

'We want to keep Ford GT exclusive, but at the same time we know how vital this customer is to our brand.'