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Founded by Sri Chinmoy in 1977, the Marathon Team is one of the world's largest organisers of endurance events.
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6 June - Seattle
Self-Transcendence 2-mile race Seattle, Race 6
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23 May - Seattle
Results for the Sri Chinmoy 7 & 13-Hour Races May 23, 2026
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Galleries and Video from 3100 Mile Race

By Anonymous
7 September
Photo Galleries Video
Finish Galleries:
Asprihanal, Michael, Smarana, Madhupran, Arpan
 
Day 37 - July 19 Asprihanal final 24 hr
Day 22 - July 4 Oleg Chat with Matt
Day 18 - June 30 Sri Chinmoy meditates
Day 10 - June 23
Stefan Abichal
Day 2 - June 14 Smarana and Michael Music video
Day 1 - June 13 Matt July 3
Abakash's photos from the start Arpan Video of the Start
  Virendra Abichal Matt
   

Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team articles - more articles

Vice-Consul of the Russian Federation in New York attends 6 & 10 Day Awards Ceremony

By Rupantar LaRusso author bio »
27 April

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.
  • Ms Daria Konyakina, Vice Consul of the Russian Federation will all race participants from the Russian Federation.
  • Ms. Konyakina (right) with Pratishruti Khisamoutdinova (center), the oldest participant from the Russian Federation.

Ms Daria I. Konyakina, the Vice-Consul of the Russian Federation in New York attended the awards ceremony of the Sri Chinmoy 6 & 10 Day Races on April 27 at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. 14 participants from the Russian Federation participated in the race.

View full article »

Ambassador Manu Virtamo CV, Consul General of Finland, attends awards ceremony of 6/10 Day Race

By Rupantar LaRusso author bio »
27 April

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.
  • Ashprihanal Aalto with Ambassador Manu Virtamo CV, Consul General of Finland

Ultra legend and winner of the 10 Day Race Ashprihanal Aalto of Finland received an unexpected surprise at the award's ceremony for the Sri Chinmoy 6 and 10 Day Races when Ambassador Manu Virtamo CV, Consul General of Finland was on hand to present Ashprihanal with his trophy and many words of encouragement. Ashprihanal is currently the world record holder for the Sri Chinmoy 3,100-Mile Race set in 2015 in a time of 40:09:06:21.

View full article »

From the archives: The beginning years of the world's longest race

By Sahishnu Szczesiul
10 February

Sahishnu Szczesiul, Associate Race Director and also our race statistician and historian, has been hard at work on compiling accounts of some of the more compelling moments in the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team's 40 year history. Recently he has published two remarkable accounts in PDF form - the very first 3100 mile race in 1997, as well as its immediate precessor, the first and only 2700 mile race in 1996.

The 2700 Mile race was a giant leap forward in Sri Chinmoy's vision of what athletes could achieve with their indomitable inner spirit; it was more than double the length of the previous longest race in the Marathon Team's repertoire (1300 miles).​ In Sahishnu's words: "This event was a steppingstone to new achievement that somehow would be revealed. The runners ignited the search for athletic and inner perfection at the same time. The words 'self-transcendence' had become mainstream in the conscioiusness of the athletic world, and remarkable in the spiritual realm."

Read in PDF form:

  • 6 runners chase a legend - the full story of the 2700 Mile Race
  • Follow Your Dreams - the story of the very first 3100 Mile race in 1997

Related

  • 3,100 Mile race homepage

 

 

View full article »

2018 Sri Chinmoy Six and Ten Day List of Runners (February 26)

By Rupantar LaRusso author bio »
31 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.

Please note that as of February 16 all subsequent applications will be put on a waiting list, 'first come, first served'.

2018 Sri Chinmoy Ten Day  Runners, April 17-27 (updated February 26, 2018)

Men (33)

1. Ashprihanal Aalto, Finland

2. Budjargal Byuambaa, Mongolia

3. Ed Ettinhausen, USA

4. Ales Pliva, Czech Republic

5. Andrey Andreev, Russia

6. Pawel Zuk, Poland

7. Mahasatya Janczak, Poland

8. George Biondic, Canada

9. Don Winkley, USA

10. Michel Gouin, Canada

11. Nicolae Buceanu, Romania

12. Milan Javornicky, Czech Republic

13. Karteek Clarke, Scotland, UK

14. Jiri Jurica, Prague, Czech Republic

15. Sergei Komelkov, Russia

16. Predrag Knezevic, Serbia

17. Alex Ramsey, USA

18. Odgiiv Jadambaa, Mongolia

19. Andrei Somov, Russia

20. Sandro Zincarini, Italy

21. Deveshu Zuderell,  Russia

22. Konstantin Rybin, Russia

23. Sergey Leshchenko, Russia

24. Frederick Davis III, USA

25. Vaibhava Kuschnow, Austria

26. Nrishata Kiess, Switzerland

27. Patanga Cordeiro Da Silva, Brazil

28. Ashirvad Bello, Brazil

29. Vukasin Nikolic, Serbia

30. Vladislav Likhachev, Russia

31. Alexksei Riabikov, Russia

32. Sergey Lukyanov, Russia

33. Upakaraka Tolstopyatenko, Russia

Women (18)

1. Nataliya Hlushchuk, Ukraine

2. Vinati Docziova, Slovakia

3. Susan Marshall, New Zealand

4. Elena Kareva, Russia

5. Ilvaka Nemcova, Czech Republic

6. Giribhu Muhs, Germany

7. Tatjana Jauk, Slovenia

8. Suparna Pustogova, Germany

9. Gudrun Freier, Switzerland/Germany

10. Tatiana Arnst, Russia

11. Yashavati Plyavinskaya, Russia

12. Manuela Beck, Austria

13. Vasuprada Funk, Switzerland

14. Gundega Gaille, Osla, Norway

15. Anna Eliseeva, Russia

16. Laila Faerman

17. Avanayaha Tsendee, Mongolia

18. Zoey Cheng, Canada

2018 Sri Chinmoy Six  Day  Runners, April 21-27 (updated January 12, 2018)

Men (14)

1. John Geesler, USA

2. Mark McCaslin, USA

3. Priyavadin Reisecker, Austra

4. Roger Martel, Canada

5. Kalpa Lazarev, Russia

6. Pranjal Milovnik, Slovakia

7. Rupasena Hoerbinger, Austria

8. Nyamaa Lkamsuren, Mongolia

9. Joe Cleary, Canada

10. Marius Lacasse, Camada

11. Dhirodatta Yiriy Mcroatia, Russia

12. Tihomir Cundic, Croatia

13. Togtokh Shiiterchuluun, Mongolia

14. Padyatra Komak, Slovaka

Women (20)

1. Vera Kalishmanova, Russia

2. Divyata Kryuchkova, Russia

3. Svitlana Samarian, Ukraine

4. Pushparani Piner, Canada

5. Zuzka Zybkova, Czech Republic

6. Rutuja Larysa Zub, Belarus

7. Anna Kimchinskaaia, Russia

8. Alla Kravchenko, Russia

9. Pratishruti Khisamoutdinova, Russia

10. Sumeru Scheucher, Austria

11. Nayaja Perugini, Italy

12. Shirley Kolakovich, USA

13. Otgonbayar Luvsanlundeg, Mongolia

14. Kate Condon, England

15. Saranyu Pearson, Australia

16. Otgonbayar Badarch, Mongolia

17. Vasseva Guzal, Kazakhstan

18. Irina Mandebura, Russia

19. Altankhuu Batjargal, Mongolia

20. Sylvie Boisvert, Canada

Six and Ten Day Home Page

 

 

 

 

View full article »

Harita Davies featured in "Walking 4 Health"

By Rupantar LaRusso author bio »
18 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.
harita.jpg
Harita en route to finishing the 2017 Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3,100-Mile Race.

Harita Davies of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team in New Zealand, was selected as one of the '2017 Inspiring People of the Year' by "Walking 4 Health", which was founded by Guinness World Record holder and 3100 Mile Race finisher Yolanda Holder.

In her first effort at the New York City based race, Harita finished the race just within the 52 day cutoff in a time of 51 days, 12 hours, 48 minutes and 14 seconds.

How was she able to climb this "Mt. Everest of Ultrarunning" (as described by the New York Times)?

As she cites in the article: "As it happened, right from the beginning the whole experience felt like I was flowing in the river of God’s Grace. Each day was a world unto itself, bringing with it new challenges on every level- especially physical and mental. Yet at the same time, the never-ending obstacles and challenges were teaching me so much!" For the complete article...

View full article »

The New York Times Crossword Puzzle and the 3,100 Mile Race

By Rupantar LaRusso author 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...

For more on the 3100 Mile Race, you can always visit the homepage...

View full article »

New promotional video for our August marathon!

By Nirbhasa Magee author bio »
12 January

About the author:

Nirbhasa is from Ireland. 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.

More information:

  • Sri Chinmoy Marathon event page
View full article »

Archive: a history of our very first public ultramarathon

By Nirbhasa Magee author bio »
7 December

About the author:

Nirbhasa is from Ireland. 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.

  • Read: History of the 24 hour race (pdf)
  • You can also read excerpts for the following years: 1993 • 1991 • 1990 • 1989 • 1988 • 1987 • 1986 • 1985 • 1984 • 1983 • 1982 • 1981 • 1980
  • 24 hour race page

 

View full article »

Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team donate race proceeds to Flushing Meadows Park

By Rupantar LaRusso author 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.

 

donation_check_2017.jpg
Photo: Park Administrator Janice Melnick (right) and Park Manager Kevin Selig (left) receive a donation check from the Race Director of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team, Rupantar LaRusso, for $2500. The meeting took place on November 29

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.

View full article »

Ashrita sets a balloon-bursting record live on Czech TV

By Nirbhasa Magee author bio »
22 November

About the author:

Nirbhasa is from Ireland. 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.

ashrita1.jpgAshrita 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!

ashrita2.jpgAfter 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!”

  • View video on DVTV (mainly in English, with Czech subtitles)
View full article »

3100 Mile Race featured in video selection of Endurance Records

By Rupantar LaRusso author 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.

pronjal_2014.jpgThe 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.

  • For full video
  • Just 3100 Mile segments starting at 1.50

 

Photo: Pranjal Milovnik enroute to completing the 3,100 Mile Race in 2014.

View full article »

A History of the fastest 100-mile ultrarunners during the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s

By Rupantar LaRusso author 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.

50km-50mi.jpgDavy 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."

To download the complete PDF: Swift Endurance Legends

For more on the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team's history...

 

View full article »

DUV: Ultra Marathon Statistics

By Rupantar LaRusso author bio »
3 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.

3100runners.jpgIf you like running statistics then here is the website to visit.

From the DUV home page:

"Dear ultra runners,

"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."

From Sahishnu, an associate Race Director of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team:

"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."

View full article »

Video: How running and meditation work together

By Nirbhasa Magee author bio »
20 September

About the author:

Nirbhasa is from Ireland. 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)

View full article »

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.

rain.jpg
Rain solutions, from left: 1. Ponchos, 2. Small umbrella and O2 jacket, 3. Large umbrella, 4. O2 jacket and trousers
  • 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.
View full article »

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.

  • powder.jpgPowdering 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

  • cutaway-shoe.jpg
    Cutting to avoid an upcoming blister on the side of the foot, just below the toe
    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 LaRusso author 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.

after_start_2017.jpgThe Poughkeepsie Journal, (news, advertising and marketing for New York's mid-Hudson Valley including all of Dutchess County) recaps the August 24, 2017 Sri Chinmoy Marathon at Rockland Lake State Park. For the full article...

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2017 Sri Chinmoy Marathon Finishers' Photos

By Rupantar LaRusso author bio »
28 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.

2017_start.jpgPhotos for all 407 finishers of 2017 Sri Chinmoy Marathon.

Sri Chinmoy Marathon Home Page...

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3100 Mile Runner Yolanda covered by Vanity Fair Italy

By Rupantar LaRusso author 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.

yolanda.jpgVanity Fair (italian edition) highlights the American racewalker and fashion diva, Yolanda Holder, as she tackles the longest certified road race in the world, the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3,100-Mile Race.

"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."

for complete article with photos...

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The Slovak Spectator covers Kaneenika's 3100 mile world record

By Rupantar LaRusso author 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 Slovak Spectator logo "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."

for complete article in the Slovak Spectator...

kaneeneka_finishing.jpeg

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