Ricardo Abad
Ricardo Abad Martínez | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 8, 1971 Spain |
| Occupation | Ultramarathon runner |
| Known for | Guinness World Record for highest number of marathons completed on consecutive days (607) |
Ricardo Abad Martínez (born 8 January 1971) is a Spanish ultramarathon runner who holds the Guinness World Record for the highest number of marathons completed on consecutive days, totaling 607.
He gained widespread recognition through his ambitious initiative titled "500 marathons in 500 days," which he accomplished from 1 October 2010 until 12 February 2012. During this period, he ran at least one marathon in each of Spain's 50 provinces. To finance this endeavor, Abad sold each kilometer he ran for one euro, raising funds that were donated to ANFAS, an organization dedicated to supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities.
On 1 October 2011 in Madrid, Abad surpassed the previous record for consecutive marathons—365 days—previously held by Belgian runner Stefaan Engels. Prior to this, Abad himself had established a record of 150 consecutive marathons in 2009. Following the completion of his initial 500-marathon challenge, he announced his intention to extend the effort to 1000 marathons in 1000 days, including running a marathon on every continent. Nevertheless, due to insufficient financial backing, he concluded the attempt after completing 607 marathons, preserving his status as the current record holder.
Notably, Abad managed to undertake these extreme endurance challenges while working full-time in a factory with rotating shifts—morning, afternoon, and night. His marathon runs often occurred either before or after his work shifts, and on some occasions, he completed two marathons within a span of 12 hours.
In acknowledgment of his remarkable accomplishments, he was nominated for the Prince of Asturias Awards in both 2009 and again in 2012.
Challenges
Among Ricardo Abad’s most significant endurance achievements are:
- Completing 150 consecutive marathons over 150 days (2009).
- The Peninsula Solidaria project: traversing the Spanish peninsula in multiple stages during two phases (2009–2010), accompanied by various runners.
- Running 500 marathons on 500 consecutive days.
500 marathons in 500 days
This undertaking consisted of running a marathon every day for 500 straight days, covering a total distance of approximately 21,097.5 kilometers over nearly seventeen months. Key milestones during the challenge include:
- Marathon 1: 1 October 2010, Tafalla
- Marathon 200: 18 April 2011, Tafalla
- Marathon 268: 25 June 2011, Granada
- Marathon 269: 26 June 2011, Málaga
- Marathon 345: 10 September 2011, Ávila
- Marathon 346: 11 September 2011, Segovia
- Marathon 350: 15 September 2011, Santiago de Compostela
- Marathon 351: 16 September 2011, Zamora
- Marathon 352: 17 September 2011, Salamanca
- Marathon 353: 18 September 2011, Cáceres
- Marathon 360: 25 September 2011, Huesca
- Marathon 366: 1 October 2011, Madrid
- Marathon 373: 8 October 2011, Madrid
- Marathon 377: 12 October 2011, Zaragoza
- Marathon 380: 15 October 2011, Palencia
- Marathon 381:16 October2011, León
- Marathon387:22October2011,Lleida
- Marathon394:29October2011,Toledo
- Marathon395:30October2011,Ciudad Real
- Marathon396:31October2011,Badajoz
- Stages during December and January included stops at Bilbao, Santander, Alicante, Albacete, and Lisbon.
- Early January and February stages featured locations such as Mallorca, Guadalajara, and Las Palmas.
- Marathon500: Completed on12 February2012 inBarcelona.
Personal bests
- Half marathon: 01h 19´48´´ Trubia 2008
- Marathon: 02h 46´11´´ San Sebastián 2009
- 100 km: 08h 36´44´´ Madrid
- 24-hour (trail): 189 km
- 24-hour (road): 194.5 km