It took 43 days, 10 hours and 36 minutes to complete the 4,989-kilometre race, well below the 51-day limit.

For up to 18 hours a day, the Perth man made continuous laps of an 883-metre city block in Jamaica, Queens.

He averaged almost 115 kilometres per day.

Along the way he broke the Australian 1,000-mile (1,609km) record.

He also lost five toenails, wore out several pairs of shoes and developed a nasty skin rash.

Last week despite its brutal impact on the mind and body.

"The monotony of the event is always hard," he said.

"I can see how people look from the outside and think 'wow that must drive you crazy running around the same block all the time'.

"But it's not like that - you try and treat it as a journey or a pilgrimage of self-discovery where you try to improve yourself as a person and overcome your doubts and negativity."

After crossing the finish line, Cunningham continued running for another 11 kilometres to hit the 5,000-kilometre mark.

The Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race, started by Indian fitness guru Sri Chinmoy, aims to highlight human potential. Cunningham has now completed the epic marathon four times. His previous personal best was in 2009, when he finished second after 44 days and nine hours.

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