This 55-year-old Belgian ran a marathon a day in 2024

What makes a 55-year-old woman put on her sneakers every day for a year to run 42.5 km? Hilde Dosogne took on this insane challenge to break a world record while raising funds for the fight against breast cancer. A look back at an extraordinary year marked by the determination and hope of this Belgian.

And what’s more, she chose a leap year for her challenge… Hilde Dosogne, a 55-year-old Belgian, shattered human limits in 2024.

366 marathons. 15,444 kilometers. 60,000 euros raised for the fight against breast cancer. And all this in a single year. And in parallel with his work.

On December 31, in Ghent, Hilde crossed the finish line of her 366th consecutive marathon. At his side, a cheering crowd, friends, supporters, and a wave of emotion which swept away everything in its path.

A year to run, literally

“Every day I said I was going, no matter how I felt or what the weather was like,” Hilde says.

This seemingly simple sentence sums up an entire year of pure perseverance. But let’s be clear: running a marathon a day isn’t just about your legs. It’s a crazy mental battle, a war against the urge to burn your sneakers.

On a flat loop around a lake in Ghent, Hilde racked up the kilometers, day after day, at the rate of 42.5 km daily. A little more than the official marathon distance (42.195 km) to guarantee absolute precision. No shortcuts, no cheats. By running at a speed of 10 km/h, she allowed her loved ones and supporters to accompany her. Every afternoon, after her work as a bioengineer, she swapped her blouse for her running shoes.

The Belgian thus inflicted a hellish routine on herself: eat, run, recover, start again. And it doesn’t matter if the icy wind blows in Ghent or the pouring rain makes the conditions unbearable. One step at a time, Hilde ran a marathon a day in 2024.

Blood, tears, and records

Obviously, everything hasn’t always been rosy. In September, her challenge was almost shattered when she fell at the 27th kilometer of her marathon of the day. Verdict: dislocated finger, trip to the emergency room, and low morale.

But Hilde is not the type to give up. A few hours later, with her hand bandaged, she is back on the starting line. And not to start again at the 27th kilometer: to start his day’s race from scratch, so that he cannot be blamed for having run this marathon in two halves. “Her finger is still a little crooked,” jokes her daughter Lucie, admiring her mother’s extraordinary determination.

Injuries, blisters, the flu, COVID-19… Nothing could get the better of this running warrior. A challenge that went well beyond physical exercise. For Hilde, it was also a way to raise funds for the fight against breast cancer.

60,000 euros for a cause and Guinness

By running, Hilde did much more than exceed her own limits. She mobilized an entire community, inspired dozens of people, and raised nearly 60,000 euros to support research against this cancer.

Having completed this incredible challenge, Hilde Dosogne is now preparing to make history. GPS data, photos, videos and testimonials from his marathons are currently being reviewed by Guinness World Records. If everything is validated, she will surpass the current women’s record of 150 days, held by the Australian Erchana Murray-Bartlett, and will join the Brazilian Hugo Farias, men’s record holder with his 366 marathons in 2023.

But for Hilde, the real accomplishment lies elsewhere. “If my story can inspire even one person to push themselves or get involved in a cause, then it was all worth it.”

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