5 February 2011 Last updated at 23:02 ET

Belgian Stefaan Engels completes record 365th marathon

Engels averaged about four hours to complete his marathons

A Belgian runner has set a new world record by completing 365 marathon races in a year.

Stefaan Engels, dubbed "Marathon Man", began his challenge in Belgium a year ago and has since run a marathon every day across seven countries.

He crossed the finish line in the Spanish city of Barcelona after running 15,000km (9,569 miles) in a year.

"I don't regard my marathon year as torture. It is more like a regular job," the 49-year-old said.

He averaged about four hours to complete a marathon. He said his best time was 2 hours and 56 minutes.

Engels suffered from asthma as a child and had been told by doctors to avoid sport.

Before Engels, the record marathon man was Akinori Kusuda of Japan - who ran 52 races in a row at the age of 65 in 2009.