Woman completes 100 marathons in 100 days world record

An endurance athlete who has been running every day for 100 days has broken the record for completing the most marathons in consecutive days.

Kate Jayden, from Derbyshire, has completed a 26.2-mile run each day since January, covering 2,620 miles.

She hit the milestone as she finished the Brighton Marathon on Sunday.

The current female record is held by US runner, Alyssa Clark, who completed 95 marathons in 95 consecutive days, according to Guinness World Records.

On finishing, the 35-year-old, from Hartington, said: "I'm feeling geriatric mostly.

"I was just overwhelmed. I feel very privileged that I was able to take that journey and so many people have been in touch to say they have been inspired by it too."

Mrs Jayden initially set out on 1 January to run 2,620 miles - the distance a refugee would travel from Aleppo, Syria, to the UK as a way of raising money and awareness to help refugees.

She then realised it would amount to running a marathon every day for 100 days, and would break a world record if she completed it.

"That's what kept me going," she added.

"The main thing was always about the journey from Syria and knowing how much money was being raised makes me cry. That's the bit I cared about when I crossed that line.

"The mental grit and tenacity has got me through and to pick myself up and go again each day.

"My motto throughout has been 'don't let anybody ever tell you that you can't make a difference'."

Mrs Jayden, who has documented her journey on social media, has raised almost £25,000 for charities, the Refugee Council, Trussell Trust and The Hygiene Bank with her challenge.

She said she would now only rest for a week before the training began again for a continuous Deca Triathlon in July, which would see her taking on a 24-mile swim, 1,120-mile bike ride and 262-mile run.

"I'll take this week off to rest and recover and slowly introduce the bike and swims back in again and focus on that for a while," she said.

She previously said she had taken on the challenge to push herself and also to encourage other women into sport and represent the LGBT community.

Mrs Jayden could now be waiting for almost a year to have her record confirmed by the Guinness World Records.

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].