Sri Chinmoy 3100 Mile Race Introduction

The Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team is proud to offer the fifth annual 3,100 mile race. In this grand test of endurance and survival, a small group of athletes attempt to negotiate 5648.688 laps of a .5488 of a mile course (883 meters) in the timespan of 51 days- an amazing challenge. This is the longest footrace on earth- runners must average 60.7 miles per day to finish within the 51-day limit. The serious athlete must have tremendous courage, physical stamina, concentration and the capacity to endure fatigue, boredom and minor injuries. The predecessor of this very race was the 2700 Mile Race (held in 1996), in which five intrepid runners finished the distance well within the 47-day time limit. In 1997,Sri Chinmoy, race founder, upped the distance to 3100 miles. Two runners finished the inaugural 3100 Mile race in less than 51 days, showing that athletes indeed believe in self-transcendence. In 1998, four runners finished the race, and four finished again in the blistering record heat of 1999’s summer. Last summer three runners out of four starters completed the distance. Roots

The SCMT has been sponsoring multiday races in the New York area for the last sixteen years. In 1985 we offered our first 1000 mile race in Flushing Meadow Park, the first of its kind in this hemisphere in this century. The 1000 has been run every year since 1985. Three runners actually completed the distance in the allowed timeframe. In 1987 Sri Chinmoy increased his vision of the running world. He felt that a longer race of 1,300 miles would inspire a challenge for the ultramarathon runners. The Ultra Trio was born- a set of three ultra races of 700, 1,000 and 1,300 miles. World class distance specialists began to attempt the increasingly difficult mileages.

The Marathon Team held national and world championship events in 1988 and 1989 at Flushing Meadow Park. The 1988 1,000 mile event was the I.A.U. (International Association of Ultrarunners) World Championship. Yiannis Kouros of Greece ran 1,000 miles in 10 days,10 hours, breaking the previous record by 1 1/2 days. Suprabha Beckjord of Washington D.C. won the women's 700 mile race in American Record time. Sandra Barwick of New Zealand set a new world standard for women at 1000 miles in 14 days,20 hours. One year later Al Howie of Scotland became the first person to complete the 1,300 mile distance in a certified race (17 days 9 hours).

1990 saw the women's world best for 1000 miles claimed by Suprabha Beckjord as she broke Sandra Barwick's time by a mere 27 minutes. The 1991 Ultra Trio had a field of over 60 runners for all three races- unheard of considering the great distances being attemted. Al Howie came back to break his own record for 1,300 miles by 13 hours and Sandy Barwick became the first woman to run 1,300 miles in a certified race; as well she smashed the 1,000 standard by two days! In 1992 Beckjord returned to join the super elite group who have run 1,300 miles in a certified race, which totals eight men and five women. In the 1993 1,300 miler, Istvan Sipos of Hungary broke Al Howie"s record by nearly two hours. In 1994 Antana Locs of Canada won the 1300 miler overall, and was the first person to ever complete the 1300 three times. In 1995 Georgs Jermolajevs of Latvia broke the world mark for 1300 miles in 16 days 14 hours. A New Frontier

Georgs Jermolajevs returned for victory in 1996 in the Sri Chinmoy 2700 Mile Race. He astounded the running world with a fabulous victory in 40 days 11 hours, an average of 66.7 miles a day, leading four other finishers across the line. Suprabha Beckjord became the first female to finish the 2700 miler in 43 days 1 hour. Then Sri Chinmoy announced a longer race would be held the following year. In 1997, Edward Kelley of California conquered the heat and humidity of the New York summer to win the 3100 mile race in 47 days, 15 hours- averaging 65.1 miles per day. Suprabha Beckjord became first female ever to finish 3100 miles in 51 days two hours. The runners managed the equivalent of New York to California on foot. In 1998, Istvan Sipos of Hungary outdueled Ed Kelley, leading four finishers across the line in 46 days 17 hours, an astounding 66.3 miles per day. Five starters in 1999 were subject to temperatures reaching between 90º and 100ºF for much of a record setting July, but somehow Edward Kelley won for the second time in 48 days 12 hours. In 2000, the four starters experienced cooler days, with three finishers led by Ashprihanal Aalto of Finland in 47 days, 13 hours. Suprabha Beckjord became the only four- time finisher of the race.

The cornerstone of Sri Chinmoy's philosophy is the expression of self-transcendence- going beyond personal limits and reaching new levels of inner and outer perfection. Whether it be in the athletic world or any endeavor, for someone to transcend his previous achievements is inner progress and an expression of a new determination, which can only bring us closer to our destined goal- real satisfaction. We offer our best wishes to all the seeker-runners who share a dream of going where few have ever gone. The fifth running of this 3100 mile race shows that the horizons of the running world are still expanding, according to the remarkable vision of Sri Chinmoy:

"Run and Become. Run to succeed in the outer world. Become to proceed in the inner world."

• Sri Chinmoy

The Runners

June 17th to Aug. 7, 2001

Suprabha Beckjord,45, Washington, DC USA Suprabha is one of the most prolific super-long distance runners in the world. In the decade of the nineties, she compiled 20,108 multiday racing miles in 14 events. She is the only four-time finisher in the Sri Chinmoy 3100 Mile Race. Her best is 49 days, 14 hours for 3100 miles. She is the American record holder for 700, 1000 and 1300 miles. She is only one of two people ever to finish the 1300 mile race three times. She was first woman in the 1996 Sri Chinmoy 2700 Mile Race, establishing new records beyond 1300 miles up to 2700 miles. Suprabha won the Sri Chinmoy Seven-Day race five times earlier in her career, and has held the world best for 1000 miles as well. She has a six-day best of 459 miles, sixth ranking all-time for women. She owns a gift shop in Washington,DC., and has been a member of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team for many years.

Namitabha Arsic, 35, Nis, Yugoslavia Last year in his fourth attempt, Namitabha finished 3100 miles in 48 days 4 hours, a terrific second-place performance, surpassing his 1999 performance by 28 hours, which was also in second position. Namitabha ran 2831 miles in the 1998 3100 mile race, a long way to go for a fifth place finish. As a provisional starter in the 1997 3100 Mile Race, he completed 2700 miles, good for fourth place. He has 2:48 marathon speed, and has also run 903 miles in a 1000 mile race attempt. Nanitabha works as a railroad engineer in Yugoslavia when not running multidays.

Ashprihanal Aalto,30, Helsinki Finland Starting in 1999 in his first multiday race, Ashprihanal finished second overall, first for the men, in the Sri Chinmoy 700 Mile Race, in 10 days, 23 hours. In 2000 ashprihanal became the first person ever to run all three SCMT multidays in one year. He finished second in the Sri Chinmoy Ten Day Race, completing 670 miles. He then ran and won the 3100 mile race in 47 days 13 hours, third fastest ever. He followed that performance by winning the 700 mile race a month later in 9 days, five hours. He has walked and hiked the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail, covering 50 km per day or more for up to six weeks.

DAILY MILEAGE needed to cover 3,100 miles (4,988.966 km) in 51 days time limit Miles per day = 60.784 (97.822 km) Miles per hour = 3.376