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Colorado runner Brittany Charboneau sets runDisney 'Dopey Challenge' record

Marathon runner Brittany Charboneau has set a record of winning all four runDisney races at the Walt Disney World Marathon in Florida.

The 33-year-old from Denver, Colorado won what is dubbed the "Dopey Challenge" which consists of running the 5km, 10km, half marathon, and marathon event on consecutive days -- a total of 48.6 miles.

The challenge is popular, but Charboneau, who won every event in the women's division, is the first person to have achieved the feat, male or female, in the event's 29-year history.

Charboneau dressed up as Disney characters each day including Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians, Elsa from Frozen, and Joy from Inside Out, and said it means everything to her to have won.

"My goal the whole time with every single race was to have fun, be in costume the whole time and soak up every minute. It wasn't about the wins but the fact that those were on top of it, I mean it's just like this is the world's best weekend.

"To be the first person to win all four races male or female is so special. It's really special too for women, go do big things, we can do it, we can set really big records and it's something that I'm going to hang on to throughout my career.

"That's just something so special and to do it one mile at a time, one race at a time is how it's done and I'm really proud I hung on to that the whole time," she added.

Vanilson Neves of Sao Paulo, Brazil was the overall winner of the marathon in 2 hours 30 minutes and 37 seconds finishing comfortably ahead of David Gramlich from North Canton, Ohio, by 10 minutes, and Mathieu Frechette of Quebec, Canada, two minutes thereafter.

During the resort's 50th anniversary, the route takes runners around the resort's four parks: Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios.

Charboneau finished in 2:45:15, ahead of Giovanna Martins of Salto, Brazil in second, and Megan Curham from Warren, New Jersey in third. The Colorado professional runner tucked herself behind the leaders early in the race before picking up the pace and running away as the 26.2 mile race neared the finish.

Martins was previously the top female finisher in five of the previous six Disney marathons, while Curham, who led the majority of the race, won the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon outright two months ago.

Charboneau said it was a strong field in the marathon: "I kept hearing that I was in second place, but I didn't even see the first place [runner]. It was a race that was hard. I don't feel like I was able to let off the gas at any point. I mean, this was by far the hardest race of the weekend.''

Charboneau fuelled her raced on Disney-themed cookies, and said she planned to celebrate with her husband visiting the theme parks in the subsequent days.

"This event combines everything that I love -- costumes, Disney and just everything that I love, so I could not have asked for a better day," she added.