By Amy Tennery

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – For many people, retirement means a period of relaxation. Shalane Flanagan was the 2017 New York City Marathon Champion. She found running six marathons within six weeks to be a much more attractive post-career endeavor.

Four-time Olympian at 40, the woman started the mission in Berlin with the Berlin Marathon and will finish it Sunday at the New York City Marathon. She told Reuters that the project brought back her passion for running, two years after quitting professional competition.

Flanagan said, “I needed to set a new goal after one year not running, reconstructive knee surgery, and retirement. I felt like I had lost my mental and physical health, and I was ready to run again.” Flanagan also won Olympic silver for the 10,000-metre race in 2008.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the London Marathon and Boston Marathon were moved from April to October. She decided to take advantage of the opportunity to race the World Marathon Majors in a short period of time.

The Tokyo Marathon was postponed and she substituted it with a 26.2-mile race in Portland, Oregon last month. She endured a “double-header” with Boston and Chicago on consecutive days.

Flanagan said, “This just is my idea for fun. It needs to be challenging in order to be fun to us.” “It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but it is mine.”

The Nike (NYSE:). Athlete has run times so impressive that it would shock even non-pros. She completed the London Marathon in 2 minutes 35:04 and Chicago’s Chicago Marathon in 2 hours 46:39.

Flanagan said that it felt strangely emotional to complete this project and be back in the same place where I had my greatest career highlights in 2010. Flanagan also placed second in New York, in 2018 and 2010.

“It will be an entirely different experience this Sunday, but I am very happy to be here.”