Belgian ultra runner Hilde Dosogne, center, is cheered as she crosses the finish line during her 366th consecutive marathon in Ghent, Belgium, December 31, 2024.
Virginie Mayo/AP
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Virginie Mayo/AP
Hilde Dosogne’s ambitious goal for last year would weaken most of our New Year’s resolutions.
At the start of 2024, the Belgian set herself the goal of holding the record for the first woman to run a marathon every day of the year, 366 in total (it was a leap year). On December 31, the 55-year-old completed her final 26.2 miles of the year in Ghent, Belgium.
To make it official, Dosogne is working to submit evidence of his mileage, including GPS data, images and witness reports, to Guinness World Record officials.
Dosogne is used to running extreme distances. She completed the 153-mile Spartathlon in Greece in 2022 and 2023, so she didn’t feel the need to train specifically to reach the one-year goal.
Despite this, she said she was not prepared for what awaited her.
“I have to say I really underestimated him,” she said Saturday in an interview with All things considered host Scott Detrow. “The hardest part was actually the mental part of being at the starting line again every day,” she said.
The physical challenges weren’t easy either. Dosogne did it all while working part-time and caring for a family of five.
“I realized I needed a lot more sleep than usual,” she said.
Taking naps during her lunch break helped, she said.
Along the way, she raised more than 65,000 euros (more than $67,000) for breast cancer research, according to the charity BIG Against Breast Cancer.
By signing up for the challenge, Dosogne said she wanted to push her own limits. She also wanted to inspire other people to push theirs too.
His advice for those new to running? Be patient.
“Build it up gradually and you will see the benefits,” she said. “Don’t expect miracles in a short time.”
Guinness World Records says its standard record application review process takes approximately 12 to 15 weeks. Hugo Farias, the Brazilian, holds the men’s record of 366 days, which he achieved in 2023.
For now, Dosogne is taking a short break from running, per doctor’s orders. She is recovering from a minor hamstring injury.
“He told me maybe I should rest for a few more weeks until I start running again,” she said. “But I think I’ll go for a bit of cycling.”
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