'Marathon Man' Stefaan Engels Runs 365 Marathons in a Year

The very thought of running a single marathon is enough to cause most people to break out in a nervous sweat. Think about completing a marathon every day for a year, though, and you're likely to collapse from exhaustion.

Unless you're Stefaan Engels. This weekend the Belgian runner set a world record by completing 365 marathon races in a row. The Belgian athlete -- accurately dubbed "Marathon Man" -- ended his fitness feat in Barcelona, Spain, on Saturday, after pounding roads across Europe and the U.S.

Engels has covered 9,569 miles on foot since setting off from his hometown of Ghent on Feb. 5, 2010. But the 49-year-old is keen to play down his remarkable achievement. "I don't regard my marathon year as torture. It is more like a regular job," he said, according to CNN. "I am running just as Joe Average goes to work on Monday morning, whether or not he feels like it."

Belgian athlete Stefaan Engels, known as 'marathonman', reacts as he finishes his last marathon in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011. Engels, 48, who set a goal of running 365 marathons in 365 days in several cities in Spain and Portugal with the aim of promoting physical activity and demonstrate that the effort is always rewarded, invites everyone to run with him. (Manu Fernandez, AP)

Manu Fernandez, AP

Belgian athlete Stefaan Engels, known as "Marathon Man," finishes his last of 365 marathons in a row in Barcelona, Spain, on Saturday.

The fitness fanatic said the key to his triumph was keeping a slow pace over each 26.2-mile course. "I recover quickly. I don't run fast and my heartbeat is slow, below 100 if I run 10 kilometers [6.2 miles], but it is more a mental story," he told The Associated Press. "The problem was thinking about running a marathon every day. I just told myself to run that day and did not think about the next day or next week."

On average, Engels took about 4 hours to complete a marathon, but his best time was a decent 2 hours and 56 minutes.

The former graphic designer is a veteran record breaker. In 2008, he earned a place in Guinness World Records by completing 20 Iron Man triathlons in a year. Engels says that epic test of stamina inspired him to seek out a new challenge.

"After running 20 triathlons in one year, I was not ready to go back to normal life," he told AP. "I also wanted to inspire people by showing that if I could run a marathon a day for an entire year, that anyone could run or bike a little each day or do something about their weight problem."

Engels is the right man to spread that inspirational message. As a youngster, he had severe asthma and was told by a doctor that he shouldn't participate in sports. But he decided to overcome that ailment, and at the age of 25 he ran his first marathon.

The record breaker now plans to focus on writing a book about his long-distance adventure, as well as coaching and giving lectures. "It is time for other things," he told AP. "It is time to give my body a rest."