This is the moment a 55-year-old ultramarathon runner breaks the Guinness world record for the greatest distance covered by a woman on a treadmill in seven days after running almost 870 kilometres (540 miles).
The record-breaking feat took place at Beiramar Shopping in Florianopolis, the capital of Santa Catarina state in southern Brazil, on 9th August.
Debora Simas completed 866.21 kilometres (538.23 miles) over 168 hours, surpassing the previous record of 846.16 kilometres (525.77 miles) set by New Zealand runner Emma Timmis in Christchurch in 2024.
She reached the previous mark at 9.14am, almost three hours before the scheduled end of the challenge, but continued until midday to push her final distance to 866.21 kilometres.
Footage shows supporters gathered around the treadmill as Debora keeps moving during the final stages, with fans cheering her on as she closes in on the record.
The challenge began at midday on 2nd August, with Debora expected to spend around 20 hours each day running or walking and the remaining four hours on sleep, hygiene, medical care and bathroom breaks.
She even ate and drank while remaining on the treadmill for much of the challenge, while a tent positioned behind the machine provided a place for her to sleep and recover during short breaks.
Her first nights included only around three hours of sleep, with her team continually reassessing her rest periods according to her distance, fatigue and physical condition.
The gruelling attempt reached a crisis point on 5th August when Debora suffered a severe cramp and nearly lost consciousness, forcing her medical team to intervene and revise the plan.
Doctor Daniel de Souza Carvalho, who monitored her throughout the challenge, said the incident highlighted the mental demands of running continuously over seven days.
He said: "Debora had a severe cramp, almost passed out, and we realised that we needed to rethink the plan.
“In a seven-day challenge, it is not enough to have physical fitness. The mental side weighs heavily, and you need to know how to respond to what happens.”
The attempt was organised according to Guinness World Records requirements, with 84 independent judges rotating in four-hour shifts to monitor the challenge around the clock.
None of the judges could be related to Debora, with the officials helping provide the independent oversight required for the record attempt.
Around 110 people in total supported the challenge, including doctors, physiotherapists, nurses, a nutritionist, coaches, officials, support staff and volunteers working in shifts.
Debora said the seven days had pushed her through sleep deprivation, pain and exhaustion, but she deliberately focused on completing one kilometre at a time.
She said: "Those were seven very intense days. I had to face sleep, pain, exhaustion and moments when my mind had to be stronger than my body.
“I knew how much I had worked to be here. I spent two years preparing for this week, so I tried not to think about more than 846 kilometres.
"I thought about the next kilometre, the next step. That was how I managed to keep going.”
The achievement came seven years after Debora's first attempt at the same shopping centre, when she covered 800.61 kilometres in seven days and established the Brazilian and South American records.
She spent two years preparing specifically for this attempt while working two jobs, at an agricultural supplies shop during the day and a snack bar at night.
Her training included overnight sessions designed to replicate the physical and mental demands of spending seven days on a treadmill.
Debora began running at 34 and has since competed in almost 300 races, reaching the podium in all of them, according to Brazilian reports.
She became the first Brazilian woman to complete 1,000 kilometres in ten days and has won the Brazil 135 Ultramarathon three times, as well as competing at world events in the Netherlands and Spain.
Her record attempt is now undergoing the final official adjudication and homologation process, with evidence, video logs and witness statements from the event being reviewed before Guinness World Records formally confirms the title.
(Marija Stojkoska/Newsflash)
