US woman runs ultramarathon for 23 consecutive days, sets Guinness World Record

Megan Cassidy, a native of Florida's Kissimmee in the United States, has bagged the Guinness World Record for the highest consecutive days to complete an ultramarathon, covering a distance of 31.1 miles or around 50 km over the course of 23 days.

According to the Guinness World Record, "the most consecutive days to run an ultra marathon distance (female) is 23, and was achieved by Megan Cassidy (USA) in Orlando, Florida, USA, from December 17, 2022 to January 8, 2023."

Cassidy has broken the previous record of 22 days and hoped for going beyond 23 days but she had to stop her attempt to go back to work.

"Running every day like that, it's not so bad because you keep up with it. There are days when it gets kind of lonely. But I'd wear a bib and tell people about what I was doing, and people loved hearing about it", she said while speaking to a local news channel.

She further said that she chose to run in December and January because the weather would be bearable — although, sometimes, barely. "The runs would take anywhere from just under six hours to over seven, depending on weather conditions", she said.

Cassidy further revealed that she prepared diligently for this achievement. She used to complete her marathons in the Lake Nona area due to the quality of the trails. The most difficult part of her attempt was making sure to take in enough diet. "It was hard to eat enough calories in the first few days. I had to tell my boyfriend to make sure that I ate at least a quarter of a pan of lasagna every day", she added.

Cassidy has run over 100 marathons till now, including major ones in Boston, Chicago, Berlin and London. As per the report by Oceola News-Gazette (article beyond paywall), once she completes the Tokyo and New York marathons in 2024, she’ll receive a coveted runner’s 6-Star Medal.