Who is Hilde Dosogne? Belgian 366 marathon runner sets sights on Guinness World Record

Hilde Dosogne, the Belgian Ultramarathon runner made the world news for her extraordinary feat of completing a marathon every single day in 2024.

The 55-year-old bio-engineer and mother of five, is now waiting to hear from Guinness World Records to confirm that she is the first woman to ever run 366 marathons in a row.

Dosogne began her ambitious quest on January 1, 2024, in a bid to break the current Guinness World Record for most consecutive marathons run by a woman, which has been held by Australia’s Erchana Murray-Bartlett with 150 marathons. As of December 31, 2024, Hilde Dosogne had run 366 marathons, more than 15,444 kilometers.

Every day she would complete the harsh 42.195 kilometer (26.2 miles) distance, usually on a flat loop outside Ghent which exposed her to harsh headwinds and weather. Despite the strain on her body, Dosogne kept up a pace of about 10 kilometers an hour, clocking each marathon a little over four hours.

An article by the New York Post stated that Dosogne kept it methodical, incorporating slightly longer distances around 42.5 kilometers a day just to align with Guinness World Records compliance.

Dosogne has meticulously documented each marathon using GPS data, photos, videos, and witness reports, to have her achievement officially acknowledged. If the record is confirmed, she will join the Brazilian Hugo Farias, who holds the male record of 366 back-to-back marathons, which he ran in 2023.

Hilde Dosogne's Journey: Conquering mental and physical hurdles while running for a purpose

Hilde Dosogne is no stranger to extreme challenges faced during a marathon, as she has previously completed the 153-mile Spartathlon in Greece and many other challenges.

But it seemed that she had underestimated the mental strain of her year-long endeavor. In an interview with All Things Considered host Scott Detrow, she opened up about her experience and said:

"I must say, I really — I underestimated it, The toughest part was actually the mental part of being at the start line every day again."

Hilde Dosogne’s marathon streak was more than a personal challenge, it was an effort to secure funds, and to bring attention to breast cancer research.

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Her effort raised more than 65,000 Euros (about $67,000) for BIG Against Breast Cancer which helps fund academic studies operated by the Breast International Group. This motivation supposedly stemmed from a fellow runner, Joëlle Thils, a breast cancer survivor whose resilience inspired Dosogne.

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