It lasted almost a whole day and night. Just one kiss.

But there was a reason for it. Louis Agius and Samantha Lautier Agius were taking part in the Bay Street Complex’s annual Kissing Marathon, coinciding with lovers’ universal occasion, Valentine’s Day.

Their lips did not part – except for the rules breaks – for an extraordinary 21 hours 30 minutes, winning them their third consecutive record, which had previously stood at nine hours 30 minutes.

The couple won the event two years ago when they were still engaged, won it a second time last year when they had got married, and this time round had their young son watching them.

The very determined winning couple this year scooped up some enviable prizes worth Lm400. These included a diamond ring worth Lm265, provided by Super Gold Jewellers Bay Street; an MMS phone offered by Go Mobile; two Catamaran tickets to Sicily by Virtù Ferries; and a Notte Corleone package which includes an overnight stay at the Bay Street Hotel, a dinner at Corleone Restaurant and a buffet breakfast the following day. The winning couple were also presented with a Paul Target Trophy and a Gilette Fusion Power Pack. McDonalds supplied the food and beverage throughout Bay Street’s Kissing Marathon 2007.

Martin Sapiano, Bay Street’s marketing and events manager, stated that he was really pleased with this year’s record which will now be listed in Malta’s Book of Records. Martin Sapiano said “21.5 hours is an unbelievable length of time for a kiss to last.

“The regulations state that the participants may have a 10-minute break every two hours. So the couple really deserved to win”.