Sharon Smashes Record

22 DEC2011

Sharon Gayter made history yesterday afternoon (Wednesday, December 21) as she smashed the Guinness World Record for running on a treadmill. The endurance runner clocked up a remarkable 517.33 miles over the course of 7 days, eclipsing Lee Chamberlain's record of 468.04 miles.

Perhaps most impressive is the fact Sharon had equalled Chamberlain's feat with almost a day to spare. The Teesside lecturer also surpassed the women's record - previously held by Marina 'Mimi' Anderson - on day 5.

Speaking afterwards, Sharon revealed she was certain she would set a new record: "I was always confident I could do it but I didn't know what the time would be. It's very rare that a female can take a male record and to extend it by a considerable margin to make sure it stays for a considerable amount of time."

No stranger to long distance running having competed in over 300 marathons and 100 ultras, Sharon said the secret was maintaining a constant, steady pace throughout: "A lot of people can't control their pace. I've just been jogging along watching the heart rate, effortless really. If you keep it slow you can keep it going."

Running for an average of 18 hours and 74 miles per day, Sharon received support and assistance from friends and colleagues at Teesside University. The 48-year-old was quick to praise the help she received throughout the week, adding: "It felt too easy because I have had a good team behind me." She continued, "This isn't my record, this is everybody's record."