The 55-year-old ran 15,444 kilometres (9,596 miles) over the course of a year.
Finally coming to a halt on the last day of 2024, Belgian ultrarunner Hilde Dosogne felt she had done what she needed to take the world record as the first woman to run a marathon every single day of the year.
Weary, but seemingly far from exhausted from the weight of relentless marathon running, Dosogne emerged from the cold, grey light to cross the line as a throng of fellow runners celebrated an extraordinary feat.
“I’m glad it’s over,” she said after crossing the line on Tuesday, leaving the last crash of many behind her when she collided with a spectator during her final run.
On top of the reward for her perseverance in running at least 15,444 kilometres (9,596 miles) in a single year, the 55-year-old also raised some 60,000 euros ($62,438) in funds for breast cancer research.
Now comes the filing of GPS data, photo and video evidence and independent witness reports she had to collect daily to meet the requirements of the Guinness World Records organisation. If approved, the record should be officially hers in about three months.
The 55-year-old would join Hugo Farias, the Brazilian who holds the male record of 366 days, which he achieved in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on August 28, 2023.
