The New York Times Crossword Puzzle and the 3,100 Mile Race
By Rupantar LaRussoauthor bio »
17 January
About the author:
Rupantar has been the race director of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team since 1985, having been asked by Sri Chinmoy to serve in that capacity. As well as working on the big races the US Marathon Team organise each year - the 3100 Mile Race and the Six and 10 Day Race - he also spends a considerable amount of time archiving the Marathon Team's 40 year history on this website.
For people who happen to be fans of both the New York Times daily crossword puzzle and the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race (we know you're out there!) the January 17, 2018 puzzle was a double treat.
The Times ran a short article going through some of the clues of that puzzle. The clue for 27 across was 'Marathon leader'. As co-puzzle author (and NYT crossword debutante) Alan Southworth relates, he was wondering if people unfamiliar with ultramarathoning would get the answer (Ultra). Looking into the matter, he came across the the 3,100 Mile Race which has been the subject of much discussion ever since. The photo in the article shows Yolanda Holder en route to completing the race in her inaugural effort in 2017, the first person to do it solely by walking. The Times ran a lengthy profile of Yolanda in July, which you can read here...
Nirbhasa is originally from Ireland but currently lives in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is an enthusiastic multi-day runner, having completed four times the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race - the longest race in the world.
The Sri Chinmoy Marathon, which takes place every August in Rockland State Park in upstate New York, celebrated its 15th birthday this year. We recently put together a short video using footage from the 2016 and 2017 races - we hope you like it!
Sri Chinmoy attended the marathon every year until his passing in 2007, and would often travel around the course offering his inspiration and encouragement to the runners. He made the following remarks following the inaugural marathon in 2002:
The marathon was so beautiful, so peaceful! Mother Nature was so kind to us. There could not be a better, more ideal situation than this one. It was so nice, absolutely! The weather was super-super-excellent. The servers were super-super-excellent. The organisation was super-super-excellent. Everything was super-super-excellent. I was there for six or seven hours, and I was enjoying the panorama of nature’s beauty immensely. There we saw water. Water means life-energy. And there we saw sky-vastness. Everything gave me absolutely unimaginable joy. Again, this joy came mainly from your participation.
Archive: a history of our very first public ultramarathon
By Nirbhasa Mageeauthor bio »
7 December
About the author:
Nirbhasa is originally from Ireland but currently lives in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is an enthusiastic multi-day runner, having completed four times the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race - the longest race in the world.
Pioneers of ultrarunning at the 1982 race: Stu Mittleman, Sue Medaglia, Ted Corbitt, and Cahit Yeter
The Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team started its service to the public by putting on races ranging from 2 mile to the marathon. Only after a few years, did it start entering into the world of ultramarathons. Sahishnu Szczesiul, our associate race director and inveterate statistician, has lovingly compiled a history of our 24 hour race, which ran from 1980 to 1993. This was the very first ultramarathon we put on for the public.
In this 53-page story, Sahishnu details the 50 mile, 100k and 100mile women's world records broken by Marcy Schwam in the very first race, the records set by the immortal Yiannis Kouros in 1984 and 1985 (the latter in the middle of storm force conditions), and Ann Trason's shattering of the 24 hour world record in 1989.
Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team donate race proceeds to Flushing Meadows Park
By Rupantar LaRussoauthor bio »
2 December
About the author:
Rupantar has been the race director of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team since 1985, having been asked by Sri Chinmoy to serve in that capacity. As well as working on the big races the US Marathon Team organise each year - the 3100 Mile Race and the Six and 10 Day Race - he also spends a considerable amount of time archiving the Marathon Team's 40 year history on this website.
For the past 5 years the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team has donated the proceeds from their November 5K/10K Race to Flushing Meadows Corona Park, where the race was located. With the kind support of the park administration, we have been organising races in the Park since the mid 1970's, including many of our multi-day races.
It is our hope that this race will inspire the larger race organizers around the New York area to do a similar race for their local Park systems, if they are not doing so already. In Flushing Meadows, we also organise a 5k/half marathon/relay race in May, our October 'Heart-Garden' 2-mile race, and a 1-mile/4-miler in December, as well as our 6 and 10 Day race which has been taking place in Flushing Meadows for many years. We have also recently started doing races in two other parks around New York - a 5k/10k in nearby Alley Pond Park in September as well as a March 5k/7-mile race in Prospect Park in Brooklyn.
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Ashrita sets a balloon-bursting record live on Czech TV
By Nirbhasa Mageeauthor bio »
22 November
About the author:
Nirbhasa is originally from Ireland but currently lives in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is an enthusiastic multi-day runner, having completed four times the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race - the longest race in the world.
Ashrita Furman has been breaking Guinness World records for nearly 40 years; he currently holds over 200 Guinness Records, more than any other person. He recently appeared on the Czech TV station DVTV, wearing the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team T-shirt he invariably wears during his record attempts, to set another record - bursting the most balloons within a minute, using only his teeth.
His goal was to surpass his own previous record of 35 balloons, but he ended up bursting 51 balloons, and was only stopped by the fact that there were no more balloons on the table to burst!
After the record, he explained why he spends his life attempting these records: “I've been studying meditation with a teacher, his name is Sri Chinmoy. I’ve been studying my whole life with him, and his philosophy is that we all have unlimited strength and capacity within ourselves, and when we practise meditation we have a way to use that unlimited capacity. People can do it in very positive ways…in my case, I try to break Guinness records!”
3100 Mile Race featured in video selection of Endurance Records
By Rupantar LaRussoauthor bio »
25 October
About the author:
Rupantar has been the race director of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team since 1985, having been asked by Sri Chinmoy to serve in that capacity. As well as working on the big races the US Marathon Team organise each year - the 3100 Mile Race and the Six and 10 Day Race - he also spends a considerable amount of time archiving the Marathon Team's 40 year history on this website.
The video channel Mad Lab features some epic records from around the world.
In this video, of 10 impressive records, they feature a short clip on the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3,100-Mile Race - which is the world's longest certified footrace in the world. Video also features other distance records including most miles covered in 24 hours.
Photo: Pranjal Milovnik enroute to completing the 3,100 Mile Race in 2014.
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A History of the fastest 100-mile ultrarunners during the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s
By Rupantar LaRussoauthor bio »
6 October
About the author:
Rupantar has been the race director of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team since 1985, having been asked by Sri Chinmoy to serve in that capacity. As well as working on the big races the US Marathon Team organise each year - the 3100 Mile Race and the Six and 10 Day Race - he also spends a considerable amount of time archiving the Marathon Team's 40 year history on this website.
Davy Crockett's in-depth PDF on the ultrarunners of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990's is a must read for anyone interested in the history of these races, and in the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team's involvement. Includes many historical photos. The following is an excerpt from the PDF.
"The Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team made a large impact on road and track ultras in the early 1980s. Sri Chinmoy came to the US in 1964 from India, attracted a spiritual following, and established a ‘marathon team’ in 1977 with a belief in ‘transcendence,’ man’s innate urge to go beyond himself and challenge the frontiers of his mind and body. This team put on hundreds of races throughout the world with key ultras put on in New York City. This team was impressively dedicated at races, manning lap counting tables through the day and long nights, supplying aid stations with mountains of food, and singing songs throughout races. They were directly responsible for promoting interest in 100-mile, 24-hour, 6-day, and 1,000-mile races during the early 1980s where the fastest ultra-runners in the country and world came to complete."
Rupantar has been the race director of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team since 1985, having been asked by Sri Chinmoy to serve in that capacity. As well as working on the big races the US Marathon Team organise each year - the 3100 Mile Race and the Six and 10 Day Race - he also spends a considerable amount of time archiving the Marathon Team's 40 year history on this website.
If you like running statistics then here is the website to visit.
"The statistics team of the DUV presents here a results database containing at the moment 3992584 performances of 993318 runners achieved in 40299 ultramarathon events.
"Rankings are generated of this database if the event was ranking eligible. All lists are linked to each other by hyperlinks. Clicking on the name of an athlete takes you to an overview of all results for this runner. Clicking on the name of an event takes you to the complete results list of this race."
"I am responsible for statistics from our New York multi-day races, held from 1985 to 2017- here in New York. The various European and Asia/Oceana Sri Chinmoy Marathon Teams are responsible for results in their own races in their countries. The lists that I keep are from 1000 km up to 3100 miles and 5000km. The shorter distance races/ultras the other Sri Chinmoy Marathon Teams send, accordingly, directly to D.U.V. If and when someone sets a new record on the lists, I send the info with proper certification to the governing bodies - USATF and IAU. I also search and add results when available from other races if applicable to the longer distance lists mentioned above."
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Video: How running and meditation work together
By Nirbhasa Mageeauthor bio »
20 September
About the author:
Nirbhasa is originally from Ireland but currently lives in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is an enthusiastic multi-day runner, having completed four times the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race - the longest race in the world.
Our members consider sports, and running in particular, to be an integral part of their inner life, along with more traditional spiritual disciplines such as meditation. Vasudha, who helps to organise our Marathon Team events in San Diego, speaks eloquently about how the role that running plays in her own life, and how running and meditation complement each other.
From her interview: "Running is my church - its just absolutely where I can go and feel a sense of connecting to something higher. My spiritual life helps my running and my running helps my spiritual life - for myself, I can't separate the two. It's so much a part of who I am."
Sri Chinmoy spoke often on the inner benefits of running - including an answer which Vasudha refers to in the video:
While you run, each breath that you take is connected with a higher reality. While you are jogging, if you are in a good consciousness, your breath is being blessed by a higher inner breath. Of course, while you are jogging if you are chatting with one of your friends about mundane things, then this will not apply. But if you are in a good consciousness while you are running, each breath will connect you with a higher, deeper, inner reality. (source)
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Multi-day tips, part 2: Coping with rainy weather
By Smarana Puntigam
8 September
This is the second in a series of articles from Smarana Puntigam, a 20-year veteran of multidays, on dealing with the many challenges that a multi-day race can throw up...
Rainy weather is a real challenge for a multiday runner. The rain can soak through and make you cold and miserable, and also lead to chafing and blisters. Keep an eye on the weather reports and try and anticipate what the rain is going to be like, and plan accordingly.
1. Keeping dry
There are multiple options that one can choose from, depending on the type of rain and your physical strength at the time.
A cheap plastic raincoat is very efficient and keeps the rain out. However, if used for a long time, it may lead to overheating. After a while, you also get wet from inside because it is not breathable.
Even with breathable jackets, overheating and sweating is an issue, particularly with heavy Gore-tex jackets and trousers. There are paper thin rain coats and trousers on the market, for example those from H2, that are breathable and also quite inexpensive. Some runners cut the legs of their trousers short to allow more breathing.
Running with an umbrella has the advantage of not sweating as much, and also keeping the rain off your feet for a while. But in the course of time it needs extra energy to carry. Smaller umbrellas are better for running; for walking and shorter periods of time bigger umbrellas keep the feet dry for longer.
Ponchos keep the rain off and allow the air to circulate inside, however they can be troublesome in windy conditions.
For short spells of rain, you can also try and time your breaks to coincide with the rain. Some areas (such as NY) are more difficult to predict the exact arrival of weather than others due to competing weather systems, however usually the forecasting models 'converge' an hour or two before the rain starts and you should be able to plan with plus or minus 15 minutes accuracy.
2. Chafing
As soon as there is moisture and friction, the danger of chafing is very high.
It might be possible to tape areas that are likely to chafe.
Before you get a problem you can also apply petroleum or other creams that help to reduce the friction - in the long run, however, it is better to keep these areas dry. Corn starch is a very efficient solution, as is talcum powder with zinc, or powder with essential oils.
Compression shirts and compression tights can be a big help in rainy weather to prevent chafing.
3. Blisters
The most important thing for a runner is to keep his/her feet dry. If your feet are wet, the likelihood of blisters multiply exponentially.
If the rain is scheduled only as short and heavy rain, try to run with a large umbrella to keep the rain off your feet.
Some runners apply coconut oil or olive oil to their feet, before it rains, so that the feet do not absorb water and crumple up the skin.
Change shoes and socks as soon as the rain is over, and apply powder to your feet for faster drying.
During longer spells of rain, you should not run for too long without changing your shoes and socks - a good rule of thumb is 90 minutes, although you may have to change sooner if your feet are more sensitive. A prepared runner will pack enough socks to last a long spell of rain. It is obviously more difficult to have as many shoes, but you should have at least 2 pairs on standby in addition to the pair you are running in. If it looks like the rain will last longer than a few hours, you can dry your shoes by stuffing them with tightly-rolled newspaper, which will absorb the water. A good helper saves you a lot of time here, especially because you may have to replace the newspaper after 90 minutes or so if the shoe got completely soaked. However if the rain persists and you need to use the shoe again after 3 hours, it should be dry or almost dry.
When the sun is back out, remove the insoles and leave shoes and insoles to dry in the sun.
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Multi-day tips, part 1: How to avoid BLISTERS!
By Smarana Puntigam
8 September
Smarana Puntigam has been running multiday races for over 20 years, including the 3100 mile race eight times. This is the first of a series of articles on dealing with common issues that crop up during multiday races...
How to avoid blisters? - that is a big one for a multiday runner. If you do shorter races, blisters are inconvenient, but easy to deal with because you do not have to run on them the next day. However, once you have blisters in a multiday event they can really influence your performance a great deal. Depending on the area the blisters appear in, and whether they get inflamed, the range of pain goes from hardly-felt to “I think I have to stop, I just can not take the pain.“ So, the best thing is always to prevent blisters in the first place.
Here are the main issues to deal with:
1. Wet feet
One of the most important things is to keep your feet dry - if there is a lot of moisture, the skin gets very sensitive and prone to blisters.
Powdering your feet several times a day with foot powder or baby powder can help you to reduce the friction in the shoes and to keep your feet dry. There are also excellent crèmes that keep the feet soft, elastic and reduce also the friction. Vaseline is not so good, because it does not allow the feet to breathe and I always feel that my feet are sliding around too much inside the shoes. However from my experience if the race is longer than a day, powder is the way to go.
There are runners whose feet simply sweat more than others, and who will always have wet feet. Many runners cut open their shoes to let the steam and heat out of their shoes.
Rain makes the skin on your feet 'crumple' and become much more blister-prone. Our article on rainy weather has a whole section on this...
2. Choose your socks wisely
The big variety of socks is sometimes confusing - there is such a big selection of socks, each promising their own special feature.
Don't use cotton socks - they get soaked with sweat and moisture, which does not go away. This was one of my main problems when I started ultra-running and that is why I got a lot of blisters. Dipali Cunningham, one of the leading female multi-day runners, was shocked when she saw me showing up for my first 700 miles race with cotton socks, and gave me valuable information in this regard.
Use socks that are not too thick and are made of a fabric that does not store water (i.e. coolmax). For example Nirbhasa Magee, who ran the 3100 Mile race in 2015 and 2017, is very fond of WrightSocks, a thin sock with a double layer - this means the layers of the scok rub against each other rather than the skin.
3. Ill-fitting and narrow shoes
Don't take new shoes for marathons or long distances; it takes some time for the shoes to get the right shape for your feet. They have to get used to one another. The shoe size should be at least one number bigger than the size of your foot, with plenty of room in the toebox so your toes don't rub against the front.
When you are running ultra distances your feet keep swelling, and you may need extra wide shoes. The first day you can still run in your usual running shoe, but as the race progresses, your feet keep changing. A shoe that perfectly fits on the morning of the third day of a multi-day rice, might not fit any more in the evening.
Also you may need a different insole, or to cut the one you have. The insoles that come with the shoes are not flat in the heel area, but have edges that bend upwards. As your foot swells, the heel doesn't fit any more into the area of the insole and the edges of the insole can cut into the heel and sides of the foot, creating blisters.
Blisters or potential blisters on the toes or sides of the feet might be alleviated by cutting away the part of the shoe that is rubbing against it, as long as it does not affect the shoe's stability. You will probably need to cut down all the way to where the top of the shoe joins the sole to remove the friction.
4. Hot feet
Where there is friction, there is heat.
Some use creams to reduce the friction, but on the long run from my experience powder is the way to go, since it keeps the feet dry and reduces the friction.
Again, cutting your shoes reduces heat as well as friction.
There are creams that help to cool down your feet. The skin absorbs the cream, so that you can take powder after some time.
During breaks, you can put your feet into a plastic bag and put them into ice water to cool them down and reduce the swelling.
Changing your socks and shoes frequently will help to air the feet and get rid of moisture and heat.
5. Taping 'hot spots' and callouses
As a runner you most probably know your 'hot spots' - areas of the feet that very easily turn hot or red during a run. If you don't know them yet, check your feet after a longer run and try to locate them. Once you do know them tape them before ultra runs. You can use paper tape or very thin tape, but do not use kinesiology tape - it creates a lot of heat and you will get blisters right there.
If there is a callous - very often in the heel section - take it away with simple sand paper or special tools from the drug store. When the feet start to swell during multi-day runs, the normal skin is elastic and can expand, while the callous cannot. Spots like that are predestined for blisters.
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Poughkeepsie Journal: The Sri Chinmoy Marathon
By Rupantar LaRussoauthor bio »
1 September
About the author:
Rupantar has been the race director of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team since 1985, having been asked by Sri Chinmoy to serve in that capacity. As well as working on the big races the US Marathon Team organise each year - the 3100 Mile Race and the Six and 10 Day Race - he also spends a considerable amount of time archiving the Marathon Team's 40 year history on this website.
Rupantar has been the race director of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team since 1985, having been asked by Sri Chinmoy to serve in that capacity. As well as working on the big races the US Marathon Team organise each year - the 3100 Mile Race and the Six and 10 Day Race - he also spends a considerable amount of time archiving the Marathon Team's 40 year history on this website.
3100 Mile Runner Yolanda covered by Vanity Fair Italy
By Rupantar LaRussoauthor bio »
6 August
About the author:
Rupantar has been the race director of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team since 1985, having been asked by Sri Chinmoy to serve in that capacity. As well as working on the big races the US Marathon Team organise each year - the 3100 Mile Race and the Six and 10 Day Race - he also spends a considerable amount of time archiving the Marathon Team's 40 year history on this website.
"La signora Holder, conosciuta come Walking Diva, è stata invitata alla più lunga gara del mondo dai discepoli del religioso Sri Chinmoy: «L’importanza di superare i propri limiti»
«La corsa mattutina è la bellezza della purezza, la corsa serale è la luminosità della spiritualità». Parola di Sri Chinmoy, un religioso indiano scomparso nel 2007 secondo cui la pratica sportiva anche estrema è una tra le vie praticabili per aspirare alla personale illuminazione. La signora Yolanda Holder, una cinquantanovenne afro-americana madre di due figli, in realtà non è una sua discepola, ma date le sue incredibili capacità fisiche è stata invitata a partecipare alla Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race, la più lunga corsa del mondo, organizzata in onore del maestro spirituale."
The Slovak Spectator covers Kaneenika's 3100 mile world record
By Rupantar LaRussoauthor bio »
1 August
About the author:
Rupantar has been the race director of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team since 1985, having been asked by Sri Chinmoy to serve in that capacity. As well as working on the big races the US Marathon Team organise each year - the 3100 Mile Race and the Six and 10 Day Race - he also spends a considerable amount of time archiving the Marathon Team's 40 year history on this website.
"The new women’s record for the world’s hardest run was rewritten by a Slovak, 47-year-old Kaneenika Janáková from Bratislava. After 48 days, 14 hours, 24 minutes and 10 seconds she reached the finish of the longest and the hardest run in the world – 3,100 miles (4,988 kilometres) in New York. She beat the world record by more than 17 hours. In the final ranking, she ended up in second place behind runner Vasu Duzhiy from Russia. He won the 21st Annual Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race, finishing the run in 47 days +05:39:00."
Video: Race tips from 6-day record holder Dipali Cunningham
By Nirbhasa Mageeauthor bio »
31 July
About the author:
Nirbhasa is originally from Ireland but currently lives in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is an enthusiastic multi-day runner, having completed four times the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race - the longest race in the world.
During this year's edition of the 3100 Mile Race, Dipali Cunningham has been coming out to the course every day to share her enthusiasm and expertise with all the runners. Dipali has broken the women's world road record for 6 days numerous times, the most recent being the still-standing record of 513 miles set in 2009, aged 53.
While at the course, she has made a series of videos titled 'Dipali's Race Tips', where she explains some of the things the runners are doing in order to complete the distance within the 52 day cutoff.
The importance of a good helper
In this video, Dipali explains that the runners just want to be free to run, and not have to deal with any of the logistics involved in keeping moving, and how a good helper allows them to do that.
Coping with the sun and heat
During the summer months in New York, temperatures frequently get into the high 80's and 90's Fahrenheit (over 30 degrees Celsius) and so a good strategy for dealing with the heat and the sun's rays is a must.
More of Dipali's videos can be found on the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team Vimeo channel, as well as daily race updates from race director Rupantar LaRusso. The videos were shot and edited by Utpal Marshall; more of Utpal's videos can be found on perfectionjourney.org
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India’s ‘Faith Runner’ inspired by the 3100 Mile Race
By Rupantar LaRussoauthor bio »
31 July
About the author:
Rupantar has been the race director of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team since 1985, having been asked by Sri Chinmoy to serve in that capacity. As well as working on the big races the US Marathon Team organise each year - the 3100 Mile Race and the Six and 10 Day Race - he also spends a considerable amount of time archiving the Marathon Team's 40 year history on this website.
We spotted this article in Indian online magazine, the Quint:
"Call him Forrest Gump if you like, but you cannot help but be awed at Samir Singh’s passion for running. The 44-year-old has been running 100 kilometres every day through the busy streets of Mumbai since 29 April.
"But why, you ask?
"It feels amazing to see the goal is about to be achieved," says Singh, who has been running for as long as he can remember. He set about on his mission after drawing inspiration from the Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race, the longest certified footrace in world that is held in New York."
(photo: all 10 runners at completion of the 2017 Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile race)
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The New York Times profiles 3100 Mile runner Yolanda Holder
By Rupantar LaRussoauthor bio »
22 July
About the author:
Rupantar has been the race director of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team since 1985, having been asked by Sri Chinmoy to serve in that capacity. As well as working on the big races the US Marathon Team organise each year - the 3100 Mile Race and the Six and 10 Day Race - he also spends a considerable amount of time archiving the Marathon Team's 40 year history on this website.
This year, Yolanda Holder aimed to be the first person to complete the 3100 Mile Race race by walking the entire distance. The New York Times' Corey Kilgannon came to visit the course and wrote a profile beginning as follows...
"On a recent weekday, a woman in hot pink exercise wear and a matching fedore strode briskly but effortlessly down a sidewalk alongside the Grand Central Parkway in Jamaica, Queens. The woman, Yolanda Holdler, 59, an endurance racewalker known as the Walking Diva for her fashionable race outfits, has drawn attention as a first-time entrant to an unusual race held every summer in which runners circle a single block for more than seven weeks straight, 18 hours a day, breaking only between midnight and 6 a.m. to sleep."
Vasudha Deming organizes events for the San Diego Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team.
Our 2017 event began early on a Sunday morning at the beautiful La Jolla Shores Beach near San Diego, California.
As our crew of volunteers began to build the race course, the tide began to recede, making way for wide swath of flat-packed sand for the 10K run along the shoreline. Outside termperatures were warm and water temperature was a mild mid-60's.
Unlike previous years, the 2017 swim course was an out-and-back from La Jolla Shores (rather than a straight-shot from La Jolla Cove). The professional lifeguards of America's Finest City helped us set three huge orange buoys to mark the course, two of which had enormous balloon columns on top to help swimmers spot their destinations.
After emerging from the 1-mile ocean swim, the athletes made a quick visit to the Transition Area and then headed north along the half-mile loop course for the first of 12 laps. There was lots of cheering from the volunteers, friends, and family as the race participants made their way along the beach and shared the space with sunbathers, surfers, beachwalkers, and sandcastle makers.
Frederic Tete took top honors with a blazing fast swim and a run in which he successfully fought off the challenge of a fresh-legged relay runner on the sand course. His overall winning time was 1:04:42. In the Women's division, Abigail Blake won handily in a time 1:15:45.
As usual, the winners in each age group (and relay category) received a homemade apple pie, courtesy of Jyoti-Bihanga Restaurant, as well as a large basket of fruit, Gu, gels, and snacks. We believe the best trophies are edible ones!
6 and 10 Day Races 2017: the full report from Sahishnu
By Rupantar LaRussoauthor bio »
5 May
About the author:
Rupantar has been the race director of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team since 1985, having been asked by Sri Chinmoy to serve in that capacity. As well as working on the big races the US Marathon Team organise each year - the 3100 Mile Race and the Six and 10 Day Race - he also spends a considerable amount of time archiving the Marathon Team's 40 year history on this website.
Now that the 2017 edition of this year's race is finished, race director Sahishni Sczesiul takes some time to recap the highs and lows of this unique multiday race.
The 22nd Annual Sri Chinmoy Ten Day Race started on Monday, April 17 at noon, as 34 athletes left the cozy confines of their houses and apartments in various foreign countries (over 20) to do battle with 240 hours of running, nature’s elements and moving forward. The venue was the certified one-mile loop north of Meadow Lake in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Igor Mudryk from Vinnitsa, Ukraine was the highest ranked individual, with a few races over 700 miles for 10 days, as well as a fabulous finish of 3100 miles in 2011 (45+ days!!). Jesper Olsen from Denmark was one of the world’s most unique runners, having completed two attempts of running ‘around the world’, feats that have been documented and shared with other runners. He also had extensive multi-day races to his credit. Perhaps a new rising star of super-long distance was Mongolian Budjargal Byambaa who hinted at very good fitness and a desire to join the elite of long races. The ladies field featured several runners capable of close to 600 miles for 10 days, including Ukrainian Nataliya Hlushchuk, also from Vinnitsa Ukraine, and Slovakian Vinati Docziova from Kosice. Canadian Kimberley Van Delst was also considered a favorite due to her brisk running style from 2016 and improved training.
The men roared off the line with Budjargal Byambaa setting a quick pace. After a few laps, Igor Mudryck and Jesper Olsen bothered to chase the Mongolian as he cruised through the first 50km in a little over 5 hours. Igor was only 3 minutes behind Budjargal. By the time the 24-hour mark approached, Mr Byambaa had seized the lead and reached 108 miles, smoothly and efficiently. Igor Mudryk took a few breaks in the early hours but still reached 91 miles. Jesper was satisfied with 80 miles, and content to parse his energy. Kimberley Van Delst found her way to the front after a few hours, and was shrugging her shoulders when queried as to how well she was running. All smiles was her reply. By the end of the day, she had reached 80 miles, with Russian Elena Kareva (77 miles) and Nataliya Hlushchuk (75) staying close.
The very first 10 day Race in 1996 was won by Georgs Jermolajevs from Riga, Latvia, with a distance of 725 miles (1176.7 km). 21 years later, Georgs started this year again, at age 74. Australian legend Dipali Cunningham finished close to Georgs with 723 miles in that first contest - she would go on to win the Sri Chinmoy Six Day Race, (added in 1998) a record 18 straight times.
The 48-hour mark showed the trend of good runners rising to the top of the standings. Budjargal Byambaa was now in control of the race with 189 miles at the 2-day break. He was still running at 4.5 to five miles per hour, with little sign of fatigue. His lead had swelled to nearly 30 miles. By Day 3, Jesper Olsen had pulled even with Igor Mudryk with a 70-mile day, and had actually gained back over 10 miles to the lead of Mr. Byambaa. But Day 4 saw a resurgence for Budjargal, as he rattled off 73 miles and continued to run quickly and efficiently. Jesper could not sustain the speed that Budjargal possessed. Only Igor Mudryk could even consider keeping up with the Mongolian champion.
The end of the fourth day also signaled the beginning of the 20th Annual Sri Chinmoy Six Day Race. An equal number of runners - 34 - moved forward to join their fellow runners on the one-mile loop. Heavy favorite, and four-time winner of the Six Day race, Ashprihanal Aalto, was there, with American John Geesler and other North Americans, as well as several Eastern Europeans, some who were novices but ready to experience 144 hours of running and becoming. Vikena Yutz, the defending women’s champ was back, as well as New Zealander Kim Allan, a national class 24-hour runner. By the end of the first day for the Sixers, John Geesler had a slim 2-mile lead over Ashprihanal Aalto, and Kim Allan had an 18-mile separation over Vikena Yutz.
In the Ten Day race, the six day splits verified the race - Budjargal has reached 456 miles, his best total for that distance by over 100 miles. Igor equaled 425 miles. No other runners topped 400 miles. Nataliya Hlushchuk held a slim 2 mile lead over Kimberley Van Delst, 342 to 340 miles.
The 48-hour splits for the Six Day people showed Kim Allan still leading by almost 20 miles, but Kiwi Susan Marshall claiming third place and on the rise in effort. By the end of three days, Vikena had closed to within 16 miles of first, but leg and foot injuries were causing her much pain and anxiety. She tried to rest a lot on the evening of the fourth day, but dropped from the race when the pain was too much. On the other hand, Susan Marshall was running better, and had closed the gap to Kim Allan from 30 miles to 14. Ashprihanal Aalto had assumed the overall lead in the Six Day after 48 hours with 180 miles, which proved to be enough cushion for the race. He and John Geesler stayed well ahead of the rest of the field.
In the Ten Day, Budjargal Byambaa was emerging as a star runner. He eclipsed his personal best (601 miles) before the end of Day 8 with 605 miles, and fashioned an insurmountable lead over second place of 40 miles. To his credit, Igor Mudryk pulled back a few miles in the last two days, but Budjargal had become the star of the race, overcoming any obstacle, and still staying above 67 miles the last seven days of the event. Budjargal also announced his ascendency in world rankings, becoming the first Mongolian to pass 1000km (8:09:41:10); first Mongolian to 700 miles (9:07:45:18), and first Mongolian winner of the Sri Chinmoy Ten Day Race - 739 miles (1189.305 km). His 138-mile improvement for 10 days is highly noteworthy, and places him fifth-ranked for best totals in the Ten Day history. If pushed he could have easily done more. At 35 years of age, he has a lot of talent and heart to reveal. (Photo: Budjargal right)
Igor Mudryk reached his personal best for 10 days with 713 miles, a couple better than his effort from 2009. Jesper Olsen held on to the last podium spot with 627 miles. There were several other personal bests in the men’s group, most notably Ales Pliva of the Czech Republic topping 600 miles for the first time (609), up from 534 miles, and 10-time Ten Day finisher Michel Gouin of Drummondville, Quebec, Canada making it 11 straight finishes – all eleven have been over 500 miles!
On the ladies side, Nataliya Hlushchuk won for the second time with 578 miles, a solid effort throughout, and as consistent as ever. Vinati Docziova ran 74 miles on the last day to lead all the ladies to the finish line as she finished second. Kimberley Van Delst held on for third with age-group Canadian records for six days, seven days and 10 days.
In the Six Day, Ashprihanal Aalto won the race for the fifth time. He totaled 441 miles on a gimpy knee and not a lot of training. True it was far short of his best 6-day of 505 miles, but he was still happy to share the park roads of Flushing Meadows with so many runners, going day and night to chase their dreams. John Geesler again finished second with 425 miles, and didn’t seem worse for wear after the race. He slept in his truck to avoid the rains that fell for a few of his days on the course. Aleksei Riabikov from Russia made the men’s podium with a fine first-time six-day effort of 377 miles. Through an interpreter he said the race gave him much satisfaction.
The women’s final results were a big surprise as Susan Marshall averaged 71 miles for each of the last three days to garner the victory with 408 miles, her first win. Her mileage was third best overall in the Six Day. Kim Allan held on to second place among the women with 364 miles, and Russian treasure Vera Kalishmanova, 61, from Volgograd, reached 332 miles and her second podium finish in three tries.
As the dust settles and the injuries heal, the runners have returned to their countries to bask in the glory or cope with the pain of recovery from injury. Yet, the undeniable feeling that we here in New York have after these two events have ended is one of gratitude for all the experiences - good or bad - that have been shared by runners and helpers alike. The sport of mult-day racing continues around the world. The many volunteers, helpers, professionals and organizers all agree- these races founded and nurtured by Sri Chinmoy over the decades give us hope and a glimpse of human potential. The energy at Sri Chinmoy Races is special. The runners’ ability to deal with everything over a period of 10 or 6 days and to reap satisfaction of any kind is a cause for celebration, and a small iota of perfection.