Arizona Public Radio | Your Source for NPR News
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Amputee athlete from Arizona sets Guinness World Record, 102 marathons in 102 days

Edwin Broersma via AP

An amputee athlete from Arizona has set an unofficial world record, running 102 marathons in 102 days.

Jacky Hunt-Broersma made history on Thursday and now says she may run two more for good measure. She's been covering the classic 26.2-mile distance every day since Jan. 17 when she began her quest near her home in Gilbert, AZ.

The South Africa native runs on a carbon-fiber prosthesis since she lost her left leg below the knee to a rare cancer.

Along the way of her marathon journey, Hunt-Broersma gained a huge social media following and raised nearly $27,000 to help fellow amputee blade runners get the expensive prostheses they need. Health insurance typically doesn’t cover the cost, which can exceed $10,000.

The previous women's record of 101 marathons in as many days was set earlier this month by Kate Jayden, a nondisabled British runner.

Guinness lists the men’s record for consecutive daily marathons as 59, set in 2019 by Enzo Caporaso of Italy.