Becca Pizzi, 45, broke the women’s North Pole Marathon record with a time of 4:46:21.

• The achievement adds to Pizzi’s extensive list of accomplishments, including running seven marathons in seven days on seven continents.

• Pizzi is a two-time Guinness World Record holder and has completed marathons in all 50 U.S. states.

Becca Pizzi was on top of the world. Literally and figuratively.

On July 14, the 45-year-old Belmont resident completed the North Pole Marathon in 4 hours, 46 minutes and 21 seconds, breaking the women’s 2014 course record of 4:52:45.

“I stayed right on track,” Pizzi told Wicked Local.

“I was fully aware of what I needed to do each lap, and I just stayed in the zone and took one mile at a time until I crossed the finish line.”

The record-breaking run is just the latest in what’s becoming a long list of accomplishments for Pizzi.

She ran seven marathons in seven days on seven continents for the World Marathon Challenge in 2016 and 2018; she has run marathons in all 50 U.S. states; completed all World Marathon Majors (Boston, Tokyo, London, Sydney, Berlin, Chicago and New York City); completed the Ironman World Championship; and is recognized twice in the Guinness Book of World Records.

In 2022, Pizzi completed the Boston Marathon — then ran it again. The same day.

Becca’s bucket list accomplishment

For Pizzi, completing the North Pole Marathon was a bucket list item.

“I read about the North Pole Marathon seven years ago and it was truly for me my bucket list marathon,” she said.

“I thought, that’s something that I’m not going to do right now, but as I finish the 50 states, I finish the World Majors, run some more marathons, that’s going to be my bucket list marathon.”

Pizzi said she’s very competitive, so she thought it would be awesome to win the race.

But the cherry on top would be to set the course record.

Training in Mass. helped her with North Pole elements

Pizzi needed four days to travel to the North Pole from Paris. Upon arrival, she and other runners tested the course — and their gear.

“We would be running the marathon in a life vest, which was mandatory because we were actually running on the Arctic Ocean,” she said.

“You’d look around and you would see the ocean that you were running on top of. It was just wild. It was so much fun.”

She admitted to feeling out of her comfort zone, but decades of endurance training in Greater Boston in all types of weather conditions made her feel prepared.

“There’s nothing you can throw at me that I haven’t trained in, so I had that going for me,” Pizzi said.

“I was scared, but I knew I was in real safe hands with the Runbuk team here.”

It was zero degrees and when the wind was strong, the elements were impossible, she said.

“The freezing temperatures, uneven terrain, windy elements.

It was just very difficult but when the sun came out, I was like, ‘Yes, this feels good,’” Pizzi said.

In January, when it was freezing temperatures, Pizzi ran outdoors in the snow, in whatever the worst elements were that she could find.

On July 14, she ran 50 laps and never stopped to take a break, in her Newton running shoes to protect her from the water and extra handwarmers in her pockets.

“I didn’t wear a ton of clothes, but I kept my fingers and toes warm,” Pizzi said.

Getting into the Guinness Book of World Records, and telling her 17-year-old daughter, Taylor, that she did it again, were on the back of her mind during the marathon.

Few people knew of Pizzi’s North Pole plans

When Pizzi prepared to run the World Marathon Challenge (seven marathons on seven continents in seven days), she told all her friends and family about it beforehand.

However, she was quiet about the North Pole Marathon, telling only her closest friends and family.

“North Pole is very intimidating,” she said.

“Not that I had any doubt in my mind that I would do it, but I didn’t want any distractions or anything coming at me that I wasn’t sure I could handle.”

The North Pole Marathon was more terrifying, because she was running on an ocean in dangerous elements.

“When I was running in Antarctica, you’re running on a glacier, but these conditions were really, really hard and tough to battle through,” said Pizzi.

She’s now part of the Marathon Grand Slam Club,

which includes people who have completed marathons on all seven continents and on the North Pole.

What motivates for Becca Pizzi

Pizzi said she is motivated by the inspiration she has given to others.

“It’s my favorite thing in the world when somebody says, ‘I signed up for my first 5K because of you,’ or ‘I ran a PR in the marathon because of you.’ Nothing is more special to me than hearing those words,” she said.

Since 2016, Pizzi hosted a 5K race in Belmont.

The Becca Pizzi 5k has raised more than $100,000 for scholarships she gives to graduating Belmont High School students. The next race is on Aug. 10