Athletics news - Britain's Susannah Gill wins World Marathon Challenge over seven continents

The 34-year-old set a world-record time of 24 hours, 19 minutes and nine seconds in completing the 183 mile (295km) distance.

The seventh and final marathon, in Miami, was held on Wednesday evening and Gill finished it in 3:26.24.

Remarkably, Gill won the last six marathons of the gruelling event, having finished second in the opener in Antarctica in temperatures as low as -35C.

In another extreme, she won the marathon in Perth, Australia in temperatures around 35C.

"It was a crazy ambition that I wanted to do. The challenge seemed absolutely irresistible to me," she told the BBC.

"Ten years ago, I just wanted to get fit and run the London Marathon. Now, marathon running has literally taken me around the world.

"It's been an extraordinary week. I've loved it but it's been tough. Although none of us have slept in a bed for a week, and we've probably never had more than three hours' sleep at a time in a plane seat, strangely none of us want to go to bed because that means it's all over.

"It's actually more fun to be here and support other runners and make sure everyone gets home and gets their medal, which is what it's all about.

"All ages and abilities have been united. It's the most extraordinary experience, it's unique and I loved it."