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.

Illumining and inspiring stories about our pioneer runners, handlers and staff.

Read about Dipali Cunningham: “It’s not easy to break a world record.” Once long ago Sri Chinmoy told this to Dipali Cunningham as she set one of her many world bests.  It is also not easy to run 446 miles over 6 days as she did here in Flushing Meadow today.

And hear her audio interview...

 

 

 

 

For more on the following runners:

Alex Swenson, Manjula, John Geesler, Nishima, Shashanka, Smarana, Dharbasana,  Barbara Szeprethy, Bigalita, Marvin Skagerberg, Fred Davis, Misha Ukrainskyi, Barney McBryde, Pete Stringer

Click on individual photo to hear audio interview...

 

  

 

 

 

 

Read about Yuri Trostenyuk: "To me it is an inexplicable mystery that the first 3 men in the 10 day race are not only from the same country, Ukraine, but also that they come from the same small city, Vinnitsa.  If that were not enough to make you scratch your head in amazement, there are also 2 other citizens of Vinnitsa in the race...."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read about Dipali Cunningham: "She is not just the leading woman in the 6 day race, Dipali Cunningham 51 from Melbourne Australia is the leader overall.  In so many ways it is this race that is the focus for her of an entire years worth of training..."

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is it like for our runners and staff during the night: "When the sky is bright and the air is fresh and warm it easy to see how and perhaps why 68 runners would choose to be part of this amazing world of self-transcendence running.  I am at the race now though in the dwindling seconds of a Saturday night, which in moments, will stride into the even inkier dark wet blackness of a dismal Sunday..."

 

 

Read about Alex Swenson:  "He is the new kid on the 6 day block, but you would never know it.  He is moving easily here around the course on this gorgeous Saturday afternoon without any signs of wear and tear.  It is really hard to believe, as he runs so effortlessly now, that he has been at this for more than 24 hours.

 

 

 

 

About Smarana... "The very need to run is a primal aspect of our beings.  It hearkens back to a long ago ancient time when the ability to run was an integral part of our makeups...."

 

 

 

Six Day Race Start: "At noon time today, the second great wave of runners stepped off from the starting line in Flushing Meadow.  There were 40 in total and under bright sunny skies they set off on a journey that will not be completed until 144 hours have passed..."

 

 

About our cooks..."The race is heading into its 3rd day now and the sun bright weather of the past 2 days took a decidedly damp turn this afternoon..."

 

 

 

Some opening thoughts on the beginning of the race..."I don’t know what you did last night but I have a good idea what 29 ten day runners in Flushing meadow did.  As the warm bright afternoon of their first day settled away and was replaced by a still cool night, the true enormity of their task truly opened up in front of them..."

 

 

 

Read about Igor Mudryk from Vinnitsa Ukraine: "There are times when you just know that something special is happening.  The Self-Transcendence 6 and 10 day race is just a few hours old and already 36 year old Igor Mudryk from Vinnitsa Ukraine seems to be doing something above and beyond everyone else in the field.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful Flushing Meadow Park ..."The skies are fresh, bright, and clear over Flushing Meadow today.  Below, by the rippling waters of Meadow Lake, the walkers and the gawkers are out and about enjoying an usually  early spring.  One in which the flowers have emerged much ahead of schedule."

More about:

Sri Chinmoy Six Day, Ten Day and Three Day Races 2025

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