About the author:

Tejvan organises short-distance running and cycling races for the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team in his home city of Oxford. He is also a very good cyclist, having won the National hill climb championships in 2013 and finished 3rd in the National 100 Mile Time Trials in 2014.

The 30th Annual Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence Race will be starting on 30th August 2026 in Jamaica, New York, on the famous block around Thomas Edison High School. Entrants confirmed for the race so far include a stellar field of 11 runners. It includes last year's winner, Andrea Marcato of Italy who has won the last six races. Will he be able to make it seven years in a row? Former winner Vasu Duzhiy — ODBS will also be starting.  Vasu has a remarkable record of 13 finishes and 3 wins. The race also welcomes its first Indian runner and first time entrant Prashant Pethe — India. In the women's category we have two new entrants Yu Xianhui — China and Nayaja Perugini - Italy

Andrea's finish 2025

 

  • Andrea Marcato — Italy
  • Vasu Duzhiy — ODBS
  • Wei-Ming Lo — Taiwan
  • Radu Budan — Moldova
  • Stutisheel Lebedev - Ukraine
  • Ananda-Laharri Zuscin - Slovakia
  • Prashant Pethe — India

 

Women

  • Yu Xianhui — China
  • Annabel Hepworth — Australia
  • Nayaja Perugini - Italy
  • Nina Huang-Lan Yang — Taiwan/Japan

The first 3100 Mile race was held in 1997. (The previous year, there had been a 2700 Mile race)

Prize ceremony 1997. Photo Pulak

In fact, the organisers were not sure if Sri Chinmoy might increase the distance of the race again. But, at the 1997 finish ceremony, Sri Chinmoy confirmed the final distance of the race would be 3,100 miles. At this inaugural event, Sri Chinmoy remarked on the significance of this race.

"This 3,100 miles is an unprecedented journey in our world-peace-manifestation-dream. World-peace can come into existence only when we are inundated with patience and perseverance. Infinite patience we need in our inner life, and perseverance we need in our outer life.

"These 3,100 miles remind us of one divine and supreme reality: we can and must do everything at our command to transform the world of lethargy and unwillingness to be dynamic. Willingness to give, willingness to achieve, willingness to grow and glow should be the message of our souls.

"To Ed, Suprabha, Georgs and Aleksander, my soul's summit blessingful love, blessingful joy and blessingful pride I am offering unreservedly and unconditionally. Whenever I passed by you running, you reminded me of our souls' eternal, birthless and deathless journey and you reminded me of Eternity's choice runners."

— Sri Chinmoy, at the awards ceremony, 2 August 1997