Sri Chinmoy MT Blog USA

3100 Mile Race Updates

Tejvan Pettinger — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:15:22

For regular updates on the 3100 Mile Race. Please visit:

Day 2: Fighting Against Stiffness

Sahishnu Szczesiul — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 01:41:34

Day 2 A hazy, overcast day turned nasty for an hour just after dinner time.The runners continued through 50 mile per hour gusts and a few sprinkles of rain.Asprihanal Aalto continued to lead with 67 miles today. Ananda Lahari Zuscin took day honors with 70.24 miles.He was the only runner over 70 miles today.He was moving well in the evening coolness

Asprihanal Aalto Leads Day One Charge

Sahishnu Szczesiul — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:56:31

Asprihanal Aalto from Helsinki,Finland led the Day 1 charge from start to finish, completing 161 laps for a total of 88.35 miles in the first 18 hours of the 12th Annual Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race. Smarana Puntigam totalled 80.12 miles to move into second position. Suprabha Beckjord,52, from Washington,DC reached 66.4 miles, her best first day total in several years. The 14 starters enjoyed cooler evening temps and sea breezes after a hazy, sticky first morning. The journey continues at 600am.

Twelveth Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race Starts

Sahishnu Szczesiul — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 10:14:12

June 15,2008-Day 1

At six o'clock this morning,a conch sounded and 14 runners galloped away from the starting line of a slightly more than half-mile city block in Jamaica, Queens,New York. This was the beginning of the 12th Annual Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race, an epic journey the equivalent of running from New York to San Francisco, with a side trip to Santa Barbara thrown in. The field included many of the world's best superlong distance specialists, including four-time winner Asprihanal Aalto from Helsinki,Finland, and eleven-time finisher Suprabha Beckjord of Washington,DC, the lone female entrant and distance runner deluxe. This group of runners boasts a total of 49 finishes among them, two-thirds of the all-time list of 73 performnaces. The race was dedicated to the memory of Sri Chinmoy (1931-2007), who founded not only this race but the Marathon Team that bears his name some 31 years ago.

Temperatures at the start were in the 70ºs with sticky humidity left over from thunderstorms and torrential rains the previous evening. The runners cover as many laps as possible during the hours of 600am to 12 midnight, pacing themselves and eating and drinking on the go. They receive massage and medical help when needed, and sleep in houses or apartments when the course is closed. Each lap is recorded and compiled at the race, as teams of volunteers help the runners with their needs.

The world best for 3100 miles is 41 days+08:16:29 by Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk of Germany. Suprabha Beckjord holds the women's best at 49 days+14:30:54

new home for the 3100

Medur Wilson — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 01:15:55

We have moved the web presence of the 3100 mile race to a new home at www.3100.ws.

The Roof Comes Down

Medur Wilson — Mon, 05 May 2008 07:40:57

Utpal covers the camp breakdown.

The Goal is Won

Medur Wilson — Sun, 04 May 2008 02:14:19

The finish by Utpal Marshall.

The Goal Beckons Me

Medur Wilson — Sat, 03 May 2008 23:18:35

Here is Utpal's story for the last night on the course this year.

Its Over

Medur Wilson — Sat, 03 May 2008 17:05:20

(photo by Arpan)

What can you say.

Madhupran was all alone and still came up with the third best distance in a ten day period in history.

Then there's John who fought off a concerted attack from Igor yesterday, found hom out on the course and basically stuck with him for the last 12 hours of the race. I guess he wanted to show him who was the boss.

Ivana opened up the gap between her and Lenka in the last day and never looked back. Dipali had no competition. Kaneenika made it look easy. The rookie Petr Simicek squeaked by the rookie Purnasamarpan to capture seventh spot in the 6 day and get into the top 7 winners' circle. Alfia Olga Abramovskikh recaptured her lead over Svitlana Samarina in the last 2 days and captured the 4th position in the women's ten day. There was plenty of intense competition over the course of the ten days of this event.

But I want to give the day's award and kudos to the rookie, Vladimir Razumofskiy, from Krasnodor, Russia. He found 67 miles within him for the final 24 hour period. I was in the 6-day counting tent with 237:48:39 on the race clock. In a 240 hour race that means we are just over 2 hours from the finish. Vladimir came up to us and sincerely asked Petr Spacil (the 6-day counter and 3,100 miler) if he could still do it. I looked at him and then at the board and immediately saw that he wanted to get to the 500 mile mark for the finish. He was at 282 laps at that point. I did not want to discourage him but it was obvious that he was not going to be able to run 18 miles in just over two hours after running full out for 10 days. He seemed to figure it out by himself but I was struck by his intensity and earnest desire to achieve his goal of 500 miles. He beat everyone else in the 10 day race that day and takes the top mile honors for the tenth day from all the way down in 18th place in the finals table.

The 10 Day race Final Results:
Men Women

And the 6 Day:
Men Women

Day 9 results

Medur Wilson — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:38:11

(photo by Arpan)

Woo hoo! Top honors for the men's 10-day go to Glen Turner who turned on the juice last night. John Geesler in the 6-day briefly relinquished the lead to Igor Mudryk just before yesterday's 8 day split but put in the day's top overall performance at 72 miles and pulled back into the lead. Dipali Cunningham remains in commanding lead of the women's 6-day. Olga Abramovskikh took top honors in the women's 10 day race with 60 miles. Kaneenika Janakova is 30 miles out in front of the battle royal for 2nd place between Lenka Svecova and Ivana Nemcova who have been within 5 miles of each other for the entire 9 days.

Day 9 of the 10 day race:
Men Women

Day 5 of the 6 day:
Men Women

Near and yet so far

Medur Wilson — Fri, 02 May 2008 04:30:52

Utpal is trying to stay ahead of the runners.

In the Still of the Night

Medur Wilson — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:05:02

More of Utpal's interviews and video .

Day 8 Results are In

Medur Wilson — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:33:23

(photo by Arpan)

I stayed at the race today from the midnight shift so that I could capture the 8/4 day splits. Here they are:

Day 8 of the 10 day race:
Men Women

Day 4 of the 6 day:
Men Women

A little earlier this time

Medur Wilson — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:38:55

(photo by Arpan)

I got to the race at noon today.

Here are the results for Day 7 of the 10 day:
Men Women

... and Day 3 of the 6 day:
Men Women

Its what you put in

Medur Wilson — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:10:00

Utpal is doing such a remarkable job of covering the race.
These interviews are really precious.

Time for Plan B

Medur Wilson — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:54:08

Here is Utpal's Rainy Day Interview story.
Time for Plan B

The 6 Day Race is On !!

Medur Wilson — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:39:43

(photo by Bhuvah)

Here are the results for Day 5 of the 10 day:
Men
Women

... and Day 1 of the 6 day:
Men
Women

Day 4 Results are Up

Medur Wilson — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 20:15:34

(photo by Arpan)

Here are the results for Day 4:
Men
Women

Day 3 Results are In

Medur Wilson — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:46:43

Here the 3 Day results for the 10 day race:
Men
Women

Contributions from Friends: Videos, Photos and Results

Abichal Watkins — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 07:05:08

In our contributions from friends section, Bhuvah Thurston has posted photos on the gallery as well as a video clip of the start of the race.

Results for day 1 have also been posted and more will follow.

First Day Results

Medur Wilson — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:21:50

Here the first 24 hour results for the 10 day race:
Men
Women

Raising the Roof

Medur Wilson — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:49:18

Utpal has been busy on his blog covering the race set up operation for the Six and Ten Day Race (2008):
Raising the Roof

2007 Self-Transcendence Marathon Results Are Up!

Medur Wilson — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 23:01:44

The 2007 Self-Transcendence Marathon Results are posted here...

Utpal's Interview Video

Medur Wilson — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 11:46:17

Utpal has edited and modified his interview video. It can be viewed here...

Suprabha Beckjord Finishes Eleventh Straight 3100 Miler.

Sahishnu Szczesiul — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 16:24:33

Suprabha Beckjord,51, the only female to ever run the Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race, finished for the eleventh straight time in 58 days+07:54:27. She has now run 36,801 miles or 59,226 kilometers in the past 12 years around the famous block in Jamaica, Queens,New York. The gift shop owner from Washington,DC was the only American in this year's event. She improved from her 2006 performance by nearly 44 hours. She averaged 53.149 miles or 85.535 km per day. Suprabha was the eleventh finisher this year out of 12 starters.

Abichal Watkins Reaches 3100 for the Fourth Time

Sahishnu Szczesiul — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 10:58:19

Abichal Watkins, 46, from Pontypool, Wales,UK made it four straight finishes in the 3100 mile race in 55 days+03:47:10, his personal best and a new UK- Welsh record for the distance. He averaged 56.205 miles per day, or 90.454 km. A crowd of 100 people greeted the young journalist and poet as he carried the victory flag and the national flag of Wales across the line.

Pranjal Milovnik and Petr Spacil Reach the Finish

Sahishnu Szczesiul — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 10:47:54

On Wednesday,Pranjal Milovnik finished his third consecutive 3100 mile race in 52 days+07:01:32. He endured shin splints and other physical ailments the last few weeks and went on to record his second fastest time.Pranjal averaged 59.284 miles, or 95.409 km per day.: First timer Peter Spacil, fresh off his victory in the Self-Transcendence 10 Day Race in May, recorded his first finish in the 3100 miler in 52 days+12:54:08. Mr Spacil endured all kinds of small injuries but made the necessary adjustments to reach the line. He averaged 59.008 miles per day, or 94.965 km per day.

Big Mac the Police Horse

Medur Wilson — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:28:08

[Here is another story by Alakananda. -- MW]

Our course is guarded by a very serious policeman. Or I would rather say “policehorse”. This guy named Big Mac comes from time to time to see if everything is ok. Our race director loves him, and Mac loves…. Carrots!!!

Haircuts

Medur Wilson — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:11:54

[Alakananda is Stutisheel's daughter. She and her mother Atandra are Stutisheel's on-site 24/7 helpers. This is one of Alakananda's stories. -- MW]

The runners do not waste even a second during the day. That’s how it works with taking off the hair. You just take a short break and sit down – everything else will be done for you. Want a quick haircut? Just run 3100!!

Stutisheel Lebedyev Completes Fourth Finish

Sahishnu Szczesiul — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 19:14:40

Stutisheel Lebedyev,37, crossed the finish line in 50 days+12:21:25, his fourth finish and a personal best by nearly 57 hours. The Ukrainian runner averaged 61.371 miles or 98.767 kilometers per day.

Grahak Cunningham Grabs Sixth Place and 'Aussie' Record

Sahishnu Szczesiul — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 17:40:57

In a surprisingly consistent way, 30-year-old Grahak Cunningham from Perth, Australia finished sixth in the Self-Transcendence 3100 miler this morning in 50 days+03:02:26, a new Australian record by four days, 12 hours. The determined Grahak was a novice to super long distance events, but after two weeks showed tremendous poise and confidence. He never dipped below 60 miles after Day 16 and finished strongly while getting maximum rest at night. His potential is boundless if he wishes to renew the block-bound journey of 5649 laps.Congratulations Grahak!

Ananda Lahari Zuscin Takes Fifth

Sahishnu Szczesiul — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 17:33:14

Ananda Lahari Zuscin,32, from Lysak, Slovakia finished fifth in the Eleventh Annual Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race on Sunday evening in a time of 49 days+16:58:56. This was his third finish on the famous block around the neighborhood. Mr. Zuscin ranks eleventh alltime on the longest distance performance list.

Smarana Puntigam Claims Austrian Best

Sahishnu Szczesiul — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 12:46:26

Smarana Puntigam,36, from Vienna Austria, ran a personal best of 48 days+04:13:54, taking claim to the Austrian record for this longest race.Mr Puntigam averaged 64.351 miles per day, or 103.562 km in this, his sixth finish in as many tries. He now ranks eighth alltime in the eleven-year history of the race, and improved from last year by nine hours, 24 minutes.

Pranab Vladovic Reaches Podium

Sahishnu Szczesiul — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 09:33:56

Pranab Vladovic,31, from Trnava, Slovakia ran a personal best by 23 hours and finished the 3100 miler in 46 days+14:02:54, good for third place. His performance propels him to fourth in the alltime rankings for 3100 miles. He averaged 66.548 miles per day, or 107.098 km. A sweltering hot day could not slow the intrepid runner, who was cheered on by a crowd of 100 people as a pinkish red sun ducked behind the horizon. This was Pranab's third consecutive finish of the difficult event. Eight runners still remain in the race as it approaches seven full weeks.

Ayojan Stojanovich Takes Second Place

Sahishnu Szczesiul — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 17:29:27

Ayojan Stojanovich,44, from Nis, Serbia finished in second place in the 2007 Self-Transcendence 3100 MIle Race in a time of 46 days+02:46:35, the sixth fastest time in race annals and his third finish in as many tries. The hot, sticky conditions could not thwart the plucky Serb as he averaged 67.226 miles per day, or 108.189 km. Ayojan is still ranked third alltime in history for 3100 miles. He was victorious in this race in 2005.

Asprihanal Aalto Wins 3100 Mile Race

Sahishnu Szczesiul — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 10:58:28

Asprihanal Aalto, 36, from Helsinki Finland, won the Eleventh Annual Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race in a time of 43 days, +04:26:32, his personal best and the third fastest time in race history. Mr. Aalto now ranks second behind only the two world record performances of Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk of Germany. Asprihanal averaged 71.788 miles or 115.531 km per day for the duration of the world's longest footrace. He ran for 19 straight days at over 70 miles per day to close out another great performance. He now has four victories and seven finishes in seven attempts around the famous block, both event records in the eleven year history of the race. This performance comes on the heels of a top class victory by Asprihanal this past May in the Self-Transcendence Six Day Race, where he ran 505 miles while averaging 84+ miles per day. A crowd of 150 people greeted the Finnish runner as he crossed the line.

Kitchen Series (4) - The Food Is Great

Medur Wilson — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 14:51:37

[Here is Kate's story about Asprihanal's food preferences. -- MW]

Every day the race kitchen makes breakfast, lunch and dinner for the runners which they receive in individual tins. Over the course of the day a steady stream of snacks and treats supplied by both the race kitchen and generous locals makes it’s way to the food table. Myriad plates of cakes, sandwiches, puddings, desserts and the like are swiftly devoured by the hungry and weary runners who at each lap scan the table for something that may take their fancy. Asprihanal who is a phenomenal runner and at this point leads the field, remarked to us one day “the food is really great, particularly the snacks”. “Sometimes” he told us in both words and gestures “I am just so tired, that when I look at my lunch or dinner plate it is simply too much and I just have to throw it away”. “But the snacks” he added “I can just grab, it is much easier.”

Kitchen Series (3) - Pranab’s Potatoes

Medur Wilson — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 17:50:24

[Here is Kate's story about Pranab's potato preparation requirements. -- MCW]

Endless hours of running day after day takes it’s toll on the runners digestion. We often get messages that the runners would like simple things. The runners do not say much, it seems they are immersed in the depths of their experience, so we rely on reports from their helpers and friends to communicate their culinary needs. Alakananda (Stutisheel’s daughter) has a knack of finding out such information and informed us that Pranab would like potatoes this way please:

Peeled, cut into quarters and boiled in salty water.

Kitchen Series (2) - Please, No Grass!

Medur Wilson — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 18:07:38

[Here is Kate's story about Petr's culinary preferences. -- MCW]

Sasha who is the Russian Doctor accompanying Stutisheel informed Sukhada - the Russian contingent of the cooking crew, that in addition to cooked food the runners should always have some fresh greenery with their meals. Sukhada with utmost faith and dedication to Sasha’s philosophy every morning would painstakingly wash a small mountain of dill, parsley and other herbs and delicately arrange them on top of each runner’s breakfast. After at least two weeks of such labour, Petr humbly approached us at the race and made a simple request: “please on the breakfast, no grass, I do not like grass!”

Busy Weekends

Medur Wilson — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 17:54:11

[The following is a post by Rupantar - but he could not get to his computer so he wrote it out and I am posting it for him. -- MCW]

Weekends are the busiest days of the week. Activity everywhere: ultimate frisbee, soccer, baseball, basketball, handball, volleyball, even cricket almost all day long. I do not know how much the runners appreciate all the sporting activity but for me I love the weekends because time flies the fastest.

Kitchen Series (1)- A Perfect Breakfast

Medur Wilson — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 06:23:35

[The following is the start of a series of stories from the cooks who prepare the food every day for the runners and helpers. This one is from Kate. -- MCW]

On our fridge we have a picture of each runner and a detailed list of their specific requirements for breakfast. Ayojan’s simply says “everything”. So every morning we duly put “everything” on his plate. One morning the usual sandwich maker was out and a novice was putting bread and butter into the appropriate plates, and forgot to add it into Ayojan’s “everything” plate. Later that day when we delivered food to the race Ayojan spoke with Nirjharini and said that this mornings breakfast was “perfect” because there was no bread, he said he had lost some teeth and cannot chew bread and he would like every breakfast to be like this. So now in addition to “everything’ Ayojan’s list also reads “no bread!”

Two Weeks Already

Sahishnu Szczesiul — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 11:53:01

After 14 days of running, Asprihanal Aalto of Finland has forged a lead of 95 miles and is averaging 71.54 miles per day. He reached 1000 miles in 13 days, 16 hours, some 14 hours ahead of his own best for the kilo in this race from last year. Austrian Smarana Puntigam remains in second with 906 miles, and is averaging 64.7 miles per day.

The ups and downs

Jowan Gauthier — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:05:28

The last couple days have witnessed some adversities. A few days ago Vlastimil got an infection on his foot. He has been resting at home taking antibiotics but still he has yet to rebound. Let's all wish him a swift recovery, he's an inspiring runner and is definitely missed out there on the course. Day Eleven also saw the most intense storm anyone has seen in more than twenty years of Sri Chinmoy ultra races!! Two major storms fronts slammed into each other and swirled over Queens for hours and treated the runners to torrential rains and powerful winds that knocked down trees, phones and power in places. The slashing winds made umbrellas useless but the runners kept on chugging along with cheery smiles on their faces. There was some sketchy weather on day twelve too but since then the last two days have been near perfect. I just hope Vlasto is able to bounce back. This is one tough race.

Pass the Cabbage, Please

Rupantar LaRusso — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 17:01:19

A common use for cabbage at our multi-day races, other than for eating, is to apply a cabbage leaf or two (slightly rolled with a standard rolling pin) onto to a shin splint, then wrap the leaf with a standard wrap. The cooling effect of the cabbage greatly helps in healing the shin splint. While listening to long time local radio and TV personality Werner Wolf, he mentioned that during the early days of baseball where many of the players were from farming communities, during the hot summer days the use of cabbage leaves under the caps of ballplayers was not uncommon.

Asprihanal Aalto Blows Through 700 Miles

Medur Wilson — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 06:04:45

The amazing Asprihanal handily Finnishes off all of the 10 day runners after 10 +70 mile days.

It's Tuesday and Something Is Wrong

Rupantar LaRusso — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 17:02:16

Ok, what's wrong with this photo? If it was any other day but Tuesday morning, the vans would be visible in this photo, next to the runner's tables. But, in New York there is something called "alternate side of the street parking". Translated, that means no parking Tuesday, between 8:30 am and 10:00 am. So, after 10:00 am Tuesday mornings the vans must be moved across the street next to the runner's tables. Boy, do I hate Tuesday mornings.

Day 9 Results

Medur Wilson — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 07:34:56

The results for day 9 are up.

Utpal has Uploaded a Runners' Interview Video

Medur Wilson — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 21:09:20

Utpal has been cranking out quick release video footage. His latest is titled "After 7 Days" and is an interview format.

Check it out here.

Lets Be Friends

Rupantar LaRusso — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 18:30:44

If you want to make lasting friends just enter a multi-day race, especially one that is on a 1/2 mile loop. Endless opportunities to talk and talk and talk.

Start of Week 2 - New and Improved Results Sheet

Medur Wilson — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 11:45:05

The results for day 8 are here.

Utpal's Awesome Video of the Start is Now Available

Medur Wilson — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 23:49:12

Utpal's Inspiration News video is available here.

Runners' Bios are Published

Medur Wilson — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 00:13:40

I just got the Runners bios published - they are here.
The photo journals are not ready yet but they are next.

The gallery is back !!!!

Jowan Gauthier — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 17:18:04

Good news for all you gallery lovers, the gallery is back in action!!!

It's a Beautiful Day

Rupantar LaRusso — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 17:15:20

Just into our second week - day 8 - and who could ask for a better day. Kids are riding their bikes ("Hey, watch our for the runners"), moms are marching with their strollers, baseball players are playing baseball, and runners are running and running and running...

Multiday Racing - To the Max

Sahishnu Szczesiul — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 17:26:30

A week has passed since the race began, so the runners must be feeling good about the pleasant weather of the past few days. Asprihanal Aalto leads the way, averaging 73+ miles per day. First-timer Vlastimil Dvoracek is averaging 67.4 miles per day in second place, followed closely by Smarana Puntigam at 66.3 miles per day. It usually takes a few weeks for the break-in period of fitness to run its course. After this time, no one drops out. Warmer weather is predicted for the upcoming weeks, so more tests must be endured. Both Pranab Vladovic and Ayojan Stojanovich have endured early bouts with stomach ailments but are now healthy and rising up the result list. More later!

Day 7 Results

Medur Wilson — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 15:51:22

Day 7 results are here.

Bikes to the Race

Rupantar LaRusso — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 16:59:25

8 of the 12 runners choose to ride bikes to and from the race each day while the other 4 prefer to be driven by car. You do not save much time by driving. Home for the runners during the race is anywhere from 1/4 mile to 1/2 mile away. I would use a bike because you not only give your muscles a chance to "wake up" and "cool down" each day on the bike, but you are also not dependent upon waiting for someone to drive you. Time is important and every second counts. However, our winner last year who finished the race in just over 41 days walked the 1/4 mile to and from his apartment every day. Go figure!

Photo Gallery is Down

Medur Wilson — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 09:37:29

Down for a while.

There has been some technical problem in the photo gallery upload mechanism. Technical support is working on the problem.

We expect to be up and running again soon.

Day 5 and 6 Results

Medur Wilson — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 07:33:11

Sorry about the delay.
Day 5 and 6 results are up.

Day Four Results Are Up

Medur Wilson — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 14:09:06

Click here for Day 4 results.

The First Day of Rain

Rupantar LaRusso — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 21:06:22

With our first day of rain the runners get to test their rain gear. Also, the three vans that are driven each morning to the race site get to test their "rain gear". Although each van has an awning that doubles as protection from rain and sun, when the rain gets a little heavy side panels must be set up for each of the vans. The awnings and side panels have been in storage since last year's race, so any new holes must be patched. Also it takes some time to figure which panels go with which van. We survived. It looks like our daily routines are slowly being sorted out. Lets get ready for the long grind!

Photos For Day Two

Bipin Larkin — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 20:14:28

Jowan's photos for day 2 are here.

Food, Glorious Food!

Rupantar LaRusso — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 18:18:25

I think the two most asked questions about this race are "Why do they run" and "What do they eat". Well, you will have to ask each runner to get an answer to the first question, but the second question is easy: they eat everything and anything. Almost.

Daily Results - Day 1

Medur Wilson — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 00:43:56

Here are the daily results for the first day (Sunday 17 June)

The Heat Beats the Feet

Rupantar LaRusso — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 17:48:11

...or so it was for some of the runners. With temperatures over 90 degrees on the first day and with similar temperatures on the second day, there was not much time for acclimatisation to New York weather. Ayojan and Pranab are suffering from what can be called "too much heat on the first day of a race" syndrome. Upset stomach, lack of energy, slight chill...that's no way to start a race. Ayojan recovered nicely, however, Pranab had to take the easy approach...rest, rest and more rest. By the afternnon of the second day he was up and walking again and by tomorrow he should be back.

Just Got the New Home Page Up

Medur Wilson — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 02:11:49

New photos of the start are here.
New home page for the current race is here.

And Off They Go...

Rupantar LaRusso — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 17:27:46

With a crowd of more than 150 watching, the 11th annual Self Transcendence 3100 Mile Race began in Jamaica, Queens at 6:18 this morning. After a brief meditation by Marathon Team founder Sri Chinmoy, the 12 intrepid runners took their first steps towards their Himalayan goal. Good luck to all!

Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race Entrants

Abichal Watkins — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 13:33:10

This years race has three newcomers including experienced Czech runners Vlastimil Dvoracek

Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race 2007

Abichal Watkins — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 19:03:49

This years 3100 mile race gets under way in five days and the field has a few changes from last year. Missing this year are Wolfgang Schwerk and Hans-Jurgen Schlotter, Sopan and Rathin. The race will be welcoming two newcomers and an announcement will be made shortly listing all the runners. Sopan has a new site dedicated to the 3100 and is worth checking out. The weather in New York has been variable - what a surprise - with high temps and a fair amount of rain so far. The 10 day forecast says a 30% chance of T-storms and then nice weather for the next four days which will give the runners time to settle.

Video of Race is Now Available

Medur Wilson — Fri, 25 May 2007 07:26:32

Utpal has just uploaded his video of the Six and Ten Day Race 2007!!! Click here to view.

The Finish and Awards Ceremony

Jowan Gauthier — Sun, 06 May 2007 16:35:41

Congratulations to all the fearless runners!!! Today's finish was amazing. It was really cool to see how happy the runners were at the finish of their tremendous journey. There was joy and satisfaction in everyone's faces. Thank you to all the runners who worked so hard and inspired all of us.

View photos from the last day.

Final Results

Medur Wilson — Sat, 05 May 2007 19:18:28

Here are the final results.

Day 9 / 5 Results

Medur Wilson — Fri, 04 May 2007 19:18:39

Top honors to Fred Davis for topping the men's field in the ten day race today. See here for the latest results.

The gallery is back!!!

Jowan Gauthier — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:57:08

Our appologies for getting behind a few days. We have been having technical difficulties. All days are now up to date in the gallery. We are trying our best to upload as quickly as possible. Go runners!!!!

See what you've missed!

The Perfect day

Jowan Gauthier — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:44:54

Weather wise this was the day that the runners have been suffering for. Goodbye galoshes, hello sunscreen. From raincoats to safari hats. From the dark and bleek to the bright and cheery. Some are plagued by pains but they seem happy to be out there, even members of the "shin splints gang".

View today's photos.

Day 8 Results - 10 Day Women

Medur Wilson — Thu, 03 May 2007 13:46:41

Due to maintenance on the site server the results will not update even though they have been posted. Click here to try your luck for 10 Day Women results and also below the fold.

Day 4 Results - 6 Day Men

Medur Wilson — Thu, 03 May 2007 13:46:50

Click here to try your luck for 6 Day Men results and also below the fold.

Day 4 Results - 6 Day Women

Medur Wilson — Thu, 03 May 2007 13:46:58

Click here to try your luck for 6 Day Women results and also below the fold.

Day 8 Results - 10 Day Men

Medur Wilson — Thu, 03 May 2007 13:40:41

The site is being serviced so I am posting the results in 2 places. The 10 Day Men results are here and also below the fold.

Day 7 / 3 Results

Medur Wilson — Wed, 02 May 2007 14:25:01

Here are results for today's 7 and 3 day splits.

10 Day Men
10 Day Women
6 Day Men
6 Day Women

Day 6 Results

Medur Wilson — Tue, 01 May 2007 14:47:22

Click here for today's results.

Day 5 Results

Medur Wilson — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 17:38:38

Awesome performance by Serge!

The Start of the Six day race

Jowan Gauthier — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 09:25:09

Today saw the start of the fantastic Six Day Race, which raises the total number of runners over eighty! A race record. Seeing that many runners out there on the course is astounding. Hopefully they can all feed off that energy and perform well. Having this many runners can be a challenge for the lap counters but the runners seem to like having a large field and tend to run in groups much like runners in shorter races.

View today's photos from Arpan, Medur and Jowan.

Race Director's notes

Medur Wilson — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 20:29:34

By Sahishnu:

Day 4

David Luljak moved from 10th to second place with an impressive 87 mile day, only four miles behind Glen Turner, who tallied 292 miles for four days. The rainless skies and slightly milder temperatures have helped the mood of most of the field. Surasa Maier continues to lead the women’s side with 263 miles. Pratishruti Khisamoutdinova ran 55 miles to win day 4 honors for the ladies.The Six Day runners join the fray and bring more energy to the race today.

Day 4 Results

Medur Wilson — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 15:21:35

Here they are!

Race Director's notes

Medur Wilson — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 15:52:12

By Sahishnu:

Day 3

Day 3 At the 72 hour mark, Glen Turner has held onto a slim lead with 225 miles. Christopher Muellauer has moved into second with 223 miles, taking day honors with 72 miles and looking smooth along the course.Petr Spacil moved up to fourth position with a 67 mile effort. Surasa Maier continues to leads the women with 212 miles with Dorothea Vogeli in second at 199 miles, the only two women to top 60 miles. The field came through the end of the rain cycle, as the sun splashed through for a few hours. More good weather is forecast for two days.

Day 3 Results

Medur Wilson — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 18:57:15

That's a little better!

Clear skies and cheery eyes

Jowan Gauthier — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 18:11:59

Finally some clear skies were to be had today as the runners dried out from yesterday's deluge. They all seem psyched to be back on dry ground and not having to jump any more dreaded puddles.

View Jowan's Photos from today.

Day 2 Results Are In - Soggy But Complete

Medur Wilson — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 21:20:55

Between minding the scoreboard in an incessant drizzle over the midnight to 8 am shift and priming a dodgy water pump in a small lake in front of the counting station I managed to produce the daily results for today in a tardy 8.5 hours. I'll try to be more prompt in the ensuing days. Stay tuned.

Rain, Rain, More rain !!!

Jowan Gauthier — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:21:11

Rain has been the order of the day today as the runners have fought through cold temps and large puddles that cover large parts of the course. As of 2pm the rain has let up enough for the pump to drain the large puddle that was completely covering the start/finish area.

View Jowan's Photos from today.

Race Director's notes

Medur Wilson — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 15:45:45

By Sahishnu:

Day 2

Glen Turner still prevails in the Ten Day race with 164 miles during a wet night and morning, but Rimas Jakelaitis dropped out with a chronic bad knee which has bothered him for the last four years. Garry Wise,the 60-year old Aussie is pressing for the lead. David Luljak from Baltimore had the best total for Day 2 with 75 miles. Suras Maier continues to lead for the ladies with 146 miles, followed by Swiss runner Dorothea Vogeli with 139.The downpour in the morning all but flooded the course, but the hardy runners continued their quest.

The First day is in the books

Jowan Gauthier — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 07:10:00

Everyone seems to be in good spirits even though the weather has been intermittently cold and rainy.

View Jowan's Photos from today.

Race Director's notes

Medur Wilson — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 21:41:43

By Sahishnu:

Day 1

Glen Turner,47, from Louisville, Colorado took first day honors with 105 miles in the 12thAnnual Self-Transcendence Ten Day Race today, leading five-time winner Rimas Jakelaitis, 52, Brooklyn, NY. Garry Wise,60, from Australia was the only other competitor to top triple digits for the first 24 hours. Surasa Maier,48, Salzburg, Austria led the women with 90 miles, followed by Dorothea Vogeli,43, Ettingen, Switzerland with 83 miles. The 41 competitors formed the largest field ever held for the ten day affair, with three runners opting to run the companion Six Day Race later this week. Both races finish on Sat. May 5. The sunny start was replaced by rain for six hours before cooler, windy conditions prevailed.

First Day Splits are In

Medur Wilson — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 15:58:13

Click here for the first 24 hour split.

The Start

Jowan Gauthier — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 21:35:58

A large crowd which included Marathon Team founder Sri Chinmoy gathered to see off the courageous Ten Day Race runners who started today at noon under variable skies with peeks of sun.

View Photos of today's start by Jowan and Salil

The 12th Annual Self-Transcendence 10 Day Race Starts Today

Abichal Watkins — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 06:45:35

In a few hours this years race will be under way and the weather forecast has improved a little - higher lows than last year and a few showers and a day of thunderstorms predicted but mostly cloudy conditions which should suit most runners.

Self-Transcendence 6 and 10 Day Races - International Multiday Arena

Abichal Watkins — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 04:43:58

The Self-Transcendence races and indeed all of the Sri Chinmoy races hosted over the years have always had an international flavour and this year is no exception. Mark Dorion, one of the runners in this years 6 Day race, made some remarks about this community gathering.

Self-Transcendence 6 and 10 Day Races - Who's Coming

Abichal Watkins — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 04:36:06

Provisional list of applicants - subject to change:-

Strong Field in the Self-Transcendence 10 Day Race

Abichal Watkins — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 12:45:38

Rumour has it that over 80 people are signed up for this years 6 and 10 day races in New York.

One Month To Go

Abichal Watkins — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 04:52:07

Preparations are well under way for the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team's first ultra and multiday event of the year which begins on April with the Self-Transcendence 12th Annual 10 day race.