Malcolm Anderson (47) became one of only 15 people in the world to achieve the feat, not a bad effort, considering he took up running only after visiting his home town in January 2006.
Born and raised in Dunedin, Anderson attended Kings High School before studying geography at the University of Otago.
Accepted into a Masters programme at Carleton University in Ottawa, he has lived in Canada ever since, but it was a trip back to Dunedin that inspired him to run.
Returning for three weeks, Anderson decided to get back into shape by running from St Clair to St Kilda.
"It showed in a very dramatic way just how out of shape I was.
"But I stuck at it and kept going back each day to run some more, and was able to build up to longer times while in Dunedin."
Worried about an old cartilage injury, he found his leg felt better the more he ran and "I was really enjoying getting out there, losing weight, getting fitter and feeling better about myself".
Completing his first marathon in November 2006, he has now completed 20 in total, including a 90km ultramarathon in South Africa last year.
"I've surprised myself in lots of ways with marathon running, and it's now hard to imagine not having running in my life."
Keen for a challenge, Anderson decided to join 10 other runners in running 10 marathons in 10 days around Lake Windermere, England.
The Brathay Trust 10 in 10 Challenge is a charity event with participants running to raise money for disadvantaged children in the United Kingdom.
Starting each race at 9am, the 42km course took Anderson up to five hours to complete with the most difficult marathon occurring on day five, when he experienced a piercing pain down his right leg.
"But I got through that day and got some much needed physio. It was a clear reminder of how easily such a thing could happen and how easy it could be to having to pull out of the race."
On the final day, the runners were joined by 1000 fellow marathoners as locals cheered them on to finish.
After spending 45hr running over the 10-day period, Anderson said he "feels great".
Other than some concern about developing deep vein thrombosis on his return to Canada, "I was fortunate only to have the general aches and pains, with tired muscles, blisters, bruised toenails.
It could have been much worse."
Despite the pain it was all worth it, he said.
"Only 15 people in the world have run 10 marathons in 10 days, so I feel quite proud to be one of those 15."
