Finally coming to a halt on Tuesday—the last of leap year 2024's 366 days—Belgian ultra runner Hilde Dosogne felt she had done all 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 the last day, 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 kilometers 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 organization. If approved, she will be tied with Hugo Farias, the Brazilian who holds the male record of 366 consecutive days running a marathon distance. Dosogne broke the women's record in May with her 151st run.
Dordogne doesn't want her feat to become a shining example of healthy living—more one of personal persistence, as she had to fight off the flu, COVID-19, a dozen-plus crashes, blisters, and even bursitis. Overall though, the brain took the toughest beating. The mental strain is harder than the physical. "Of course, physically, everything has to be okay. Otherwise, you can't run for four hours every day. But it was more mental to be there at the start-line every day," she told the AP.
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Dosogne was able to do the majority of her marathons on a flat loop around a stretch of water, just outside the university town of Ghent. As a bio-engineer at a chemical firm, she started work especially early so she could squeeze in a marathon every afternoon. The only time when her daughter Lucie felt she might not make it was the day she crashed after 27 kilometers, had to be taken to the emergency ward with a dislocated finger, and spent far too much time there to be allowed to finish the marathon by the regulation. The solution? "She started from scratch again," said Lucie. (More marathon stories.)
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