Ricardo Abad

{{short description|Spanish ultrarunner}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

|name = Ricardo Abad Martínez

|image =

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|country = Spain

|residence = Tafalla, Spain

|event = Ultramarathon

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|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|1|8|df=yes}}

|coach =

|birth_place = Tafalla, Spain

|collegeteam =

|website = {{URL|http://ricardoabad.com}}

|turnedpro =

|retired =

|pb =

|olympics =

|worlds =

|highestranking =

|coaching =

|medaltemplates =

}}

Ricardo Abad Martínez (born 8 January 1971) is a Spanish ultrarunner. He holds the world record for consecutive marathons run on consecutive days, 607.{{cite web|url=http://www.marca.com/2011/10/01/atletismo/1317461901.html | title=Ricardo Abad breaks guinness record |publisher=Diario AS |accessdate=29 September 2011 |language=es}}

He is famous for executing the project "500 marathons in 500 days", in which he completed 500 marathons in 500 consecutive days. He started on the 1st of October 2010 and finished on 12 February 2012.{{cite web|url=http://www.runningtrip.com/2011/04/500-marathons-in-500-days/ |title=500 marathons in 500 days |publisher=Running Trip |accessdate=4 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325190203/http://www.runningtrip.com/2011/04/500-marathons-in-500-days/ |archivedate=25 March 2012 |language=es}}{{cite web|url=http://www.maratobarcelona.es/saladeprensa_i.php?noticia=581 |title=RICARDO ABAD WILL BE IN LA MARATO DE BARCELONA |publisher=Marató Barcelona |accessdate=15 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402120805/http://www.maratobarcelona.es/saladeprensa_i.php?noticia=581 |archivedate= 2 April 2012 |language=es}}{{cite web |url=http://noticiasdenavarra.com/2011/09/14/deportes/otros-deportes/ricardo-abad-alcanza-los-350-maratones-y-espera-batir-el-record-en-dos-semanas |title=Ricardo Abad alcanza los 350 maratones |publisher=Diario de Noticias |accessdate=15 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120712121242/http://noticiasdenavarra.com/2011/09/14/deportes/otros-deportes/ricardo-abad-alcanza-los-350-maratones-y-espera-batir-el-record-en-dos-semanas |archivedate=12 July 2012 |language=es}} He ran at least one marathon in every one of the 50 provinces of Spain. Abad sold each of the 21,000 km he ran at the rate of one euro each and donated the money to ANFAS, a Spanish organization that works in favour of people with intellectual disabilities.

Ricardo broke the world record for consecutive marathons (366) on 1 October 2011 in Madrid. Before him, the record was held by the Belgian Stefaan Engels (365). And before Engels, the record was held by Ricardo Abad with 150 marathons in a row in 2009.{{cite web |url=http://www.corredordefondo.com/2010/04/seres-sobrehumanos/ |title=Seres sobrehumanos|publisher=Corredor de fondo |accessdate= 29 September 2011|language=es}}

After breaking the record he went on to complete 500 marathons in Barcelona on 12 February 2012. The day after that he announced that he wanted to double the number and would continue running for another 500 days to complete 1000 marathons in 1000 days. He set 22 May 2012 as the deadline to find the necessary funding for the project, which included running a marathon in every continent in the world. Finally, after failing to find financing, he abandoned the project on 29 May 2012 after 607 marathons, which is the current world record.

Ricardo ran all these marathons in a row even though he works in a factory 8 hours per day in shifts: for one week during the mornings, for another week during the evening and for another week during the night. When he worked in the morning or at night, he would run in the afternoon. When he worked in the evenings, he ran during the morning. Because of this, he would sometimes run two marathons in less than 12 hours.{{cite web|url=http://www.lavanguardia.com/deportes/otros/20110227/54120354992/el-ultrafondista-navarro-ricardo-abad-se-lanza-a-por-los-500-maratones-en-500-dias.html | title=Ricardo Abad se lanza a por los 500 maratones |publisher=La Vanguardia |accessdate=15 September 2011 |language=es}}

In 2012 he has been nominated for the Prince of Asturias Awards, as he already was in 2009.