Finishing one marathon once in your life is a big accomplishment you should be proud of. Training for a marathon and crossing the finish line requires dedication, consistency, and a degree of athletic prowess. A full marathon is 26.2 miles, and the average marathon time for men in 2023 was 4:14:29 and 4:42:09 for women. After running a marathon, many runners might take a breather, but some just keep on going. Finishing one marathon every day for a year is incredibly impressive, but one ultra runner recently did just that and raised money for breast cancer research, too.
One marathon every day for an entire year
In Ghent, Belgium, on the last day of 2024, Belgian ultra runner and bioengineer, Hilde Dosogne, crossed the finish line cheered on by a sea of spectators. Hilde Dosogne set out to smash the Guinness World Record as the first woman to run a marathon every single day of the year. She was able to run most marathons on a flat loop around a stretch of water outside the university town of Ghent, with a strong headwind as one of her toughest obstacles.
Onlookers expected Hilde to appear exhausted and struggling to put one foot in front of the other, but she emerged weary with a big smile and her arms up in the air. Hilde exclaimed that she was glad it was over as she completed her final marathon of the year after fighting off blisters, bursitis, the flu, and more.
Hilde ran at least 15,444 kilometers in a single year and raised around 60,000 euros or $62,438 for breast cancer research.
Smashing the world record
After completing her last marathon, the filing of photo and video evidence, GPS data, and independent witness reports to verify Hilde’s accomplishment comes next. The Guinness World Records organization will take around three months to officially approve her record.
55-year-old Hilde joins Jugo Farias, the Brazilian who holds the male record of 366 days. Jugo achieved this record in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on August 28th, 2023. When it comes to the female category, the current record is held by Erchana Murray-Bartlett of Australia, who finished one marathon a day for 150 days on January 16th, 2023.
The mental fortitude of marathons
Hilde Dosogne and Jugo Farias are inspiring other runners around the world and raising money for charity. It goes to show the true power, agility, and endurance of a persistent athlete. Running one marathon isn’t just a physical feat, it also displays mental fortitude. As Hilde says, “The mental strain is harder than the physical.” Hilde explains that showing up at the start line every day was the most challenging mental part that really required the power of her mind.
