No walls, just tunnels

Marathon runners talk ruefully of hitting the wall: the point where it all becomes too hard, and the pace you had planned is simply no longer possible. Fuel stores are depleted, cramp may be setting in, and there is no time to replenish anything in a hurry. Pressing on to the finish at a reduced, sometimes painful pace is all you can do.

You can also pick up an injury, and then a judgement has to be made about whether to push on and risk further damage, or stop. For most, stopping is not an option.

In a long ultra, or a multi-day race like the 3,100, there are no walls to hit. All the runners experience low energy or minor aches and pains, but time is on their side. Unlike in a marathon, there is time to take a breath, work out what is going on, and come up with a solution.

Occasionally a runner will hit something more serious, something that really does feel like a wall. Multi-day runners know that for them there are no walls — but there are tunnels to travel through.

Nayaja has been in a tunnel for the last four days.

On Monday she had the joy of reaching 1,000 miles for the first time, setting a new Italian record. The following day she began to feel pain in her shins which, as the day went on, steadily worsened and eventually reduced her to a walk.

She was seen by the race medics and took advice from her helpers and from other experienced multi-day runners in the Sri Chinmoy team, several of them 3,100-mile finishers. Stretches, tape, ice packs, the traditional cabbage-leaf dressing, and no end of good old tender loving care to keep her spirits up.

In short, although there were moments when her race felt under threat, there was no need to panic. She had been running well up to that point and had a good cushion above the mythical cut-off line.

The experienced 3,100 runners offered the wisdom that a test like this is all part of the experience. Any notion that covering 3,100 miles would be easy is soon banished. This is one of the world's most extreme physical challenges — some would say it goes well beyond the physical — and difficulties like these will happen. They are something to be faced head-on and dealt with.

The collective advice was that two or three days of easy walking at reduced mileage should let the shin settle, heal a little, and allow running to be resumed gradually.

Some medics and physiotherapists reading this may be horrified, since total rest, or at most non-weight-bearing exercise, is the usual prescription for a serious shin problem. But multi-day runners are a different breed, and will always look for a way to persevere through the tunnel.

Now, on Friday, Nayaja is clearly coming out the other side and running again.

There is no need for her to panic about falling behind the red line. We are "only" on day 20, and there is plenty of time to make up ground once the shin is fully better.

3,100-mile runners often find that when problems arise, if you accept them as part of the race, stay cheerful, and surrender to the experience, magic can and does happen.

All will be well.

Every problem is different, and the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team would always recommend that a runner seek advice from the race medical team if they have a serious physical or medical issue.

DAILY MILESTONES (all TBC)

• Andrea Marcato — 1,400 miles in 19 days, 6 hrs, 56 min, 12 sec, and 2,300 km in 19 days, 14 hrs, 39 min, 4 sec
• Radu Budan — 1,300 miles in 19 days, 4 hrs, 16 min, 19 sec, and 2,100 km in 19 days, 5 hrs, 21 min, 32 sec
• Annabel Hepworth — 2,000 km in 19 days, 5 hrs, 0 min, 9 sec
• Wei Ming Lo — 2,000 km in 19 days, 8 hrs, 48 min, 26 sec
• Vasu Duzhiy — 1,200 miles in 19 days, 13 hrs, 40 min, 12 sec
• Nayaja Perugini — 1,900 km in 19 days, 15 hrs, 6 min, 41 sec
• Nina Huang-Lan — 1,700 km in 19 days, 10 hrs, 45 min, 45 sec
• Ananda-Lahari Zuscin — 1,600 km in 19 days, 16 hrs, 22 min, 35 sec

DAILY STATS (all TBC)

• Andrea Marcato again topped the daily rankings, going through 1,400 miles and 2,300 km on the way to a cumulative total of 1,441.2 miles.
• Radu Budan ran another solid 68.0 miles, the second-highest total of the day, for a cumulative 1,350.7 miles.
• Annabel Hepworth ran yet another 62.5-mile day, closing on 1,284.9 miles.
• Wei Ming Lo closed out the day with a fabulous 65.8 miles, finishing on a cumulative total of 1,271.7.
• Vasu Duzhiy continues to hit 60, recording 60.8 miles today for a cumulative total of 1,249.8.
• Nayaja Perugini, as described above, is running again, and lifted her daily total to 53.1 miles to finish the day on 1,188.9.
• Nina Huang-Lan continued to battle through her own problems and finished with 60.8 miles, her best since day 3. That improves her total to 1,071.0 miles.
• Ananda-Lahari Zuscin, with a 44.4-mile day, improved his total to 998.0 miles.
• Stutisheel Lebedev finished with 51.0 miles for a cumulative total of 985.4. He is once again closing in on Ananda-Lahari.

"Faith has the capacity
To pass through
The darkest tunnels."

— Sri Chinmoy

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Visitors to the race

Hardly a day goes by without visitors coming to the race. Often they are local runners with a long-standing connection to the race, who bring gifts of drinks or fruit for the runners. Sometimes people come from other parts of the city, such as Manhattan or Brooklyn, having heard about the race and wanting to see it for themselves.

Occasionally, visitors come with a special story and make a real effort to get here.

On Sunday, a Romanian couple, Florin Chira and his wife Anna, stopped by the race. Two days earlier, they had been half a world away, travelling in Romania, and stopped to eat at a small village café. Florin was wearing a running shirt, and the waitress said to him, “You look like a runner. Have you heard of Radu Budan? He is Moldova and Romania’s best ultrarunner.”

Florin happens to be an accomplished double triathlete, so he was very interested, although he had never heard of Radu. They chatted in the café for a while.

Afterwards, Florin looked Radu up online and discovered that he was currently running the 3,100 Mile Race. By coincidence, the couple were flying to New York two days later.

They made a special detour to visit the race and meet Radu, telling him how their chance conversation in the café had led them here. They chatted with Radu and other runners and helpers before continuing on their way.

It is quite an extraordinary story, but then, this is an extraordinary race.

Also over the weekend, a Spanish couple, Ramon Lopez Mendizabal and his wife, went out of their way to visit the race, and they too chatted with Radu.

Daily milestones (all TBC)

• Andrea Marcato: 2,000 km in 17 days 02:30:11; 1,300 miles in 17 days 17:19:46
• Radu Budan: 1,900 km in 17 days 07:50:14; 1,200 miles in 17 days 12:58:21
• Annabel Hepworth: 1,100 miles in 17 days 01:04:59; 1,800 km in 17 days 05:38:13
• Wei Ming Lo: 1,100 miles in 17 days 05:24:14; 1,800 km in 17 days 09:53:25
• Vasu Duzhiy: 1,100 miles in 17 days 09:55:03; 1,800 km in 17 days  
• Nayaja Perugini: 1,700 km in 17 days 01:05:40
• Nina Yang Huang-Lan: 1,500 km in 17 days 06:29:06
• Stutisheel Lebedev: 1,400 km in 17 days 00:06:59; 900 miles in 17 days  
• Ananda-Lahari Zuscin: 1,400 km in 17 days 02:36:52; 900 miles in 17 days 

Daily stats (all TBC)

• Andrea Marcato again topped the daily list, passing 70 miles to finish with 71.8 miles and a cumulative total of 1,304.6 miles.
• Radu Budan ran another solid 66.9 miles, the second-highest daily total, to reach 1,216.9 miles.
• Annabel Hepworth ran another 63.6-mile day, closing on 1,159.3 miles.
• Wei Ming Lo ran 63.0 miles, his sixth consecutive 60-mile day, to finish on a cumulative total of 1,142.8 miles.
• Vasu Duzhiy continues to hit 60 miles, recording 63.0 miles today for a cumulative total of 1,130.2 miles.
• Nayaja Perugini continued to fight through her issues, recording a reduced 37.2 miles to finish the day on 1,091.8 miles.
• Nina Yang Huang-Lan battled through her own issues and finished the day with 45.5 miles, improving her total to 960.8 miles.
• Stutisheel Lebedev started the day well but faded as it went on, finishing with 36.7 miles and a cumulative total of 906.5 miles.
• Ananda-Lahari Zuscin, with a 48.9-mile day, improved his total to 909.8 miles, moving ahead of Stutisheel late in the evening.

“Every day is an inspiring day
For self-transcendence.”

— Sri Chinmoy 

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A race to 1,000 miles, and a national record

Annabel Hepworth reached 1,000 miles in 15 days, 12 hours, 21 minutes and 10 seconds (YT Short video). It is the second time she has covered the distance; in the 2024 race she ran 15 days, 11 hours, 32 minutes, 42 seconds.

The overall Australian record belongs to Dipali Cunningham of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team, who ran 13 days, 20 hours, 18 minutes, 40 seconds in a stand-alone 1,000-mile race at the Sri Chinmoy Ultra Trio in New York in September 1997. Dipali's time still stands among the best women's 1,000-mile performances of all time in the DUV archives, and remains the Australian open record nearly thirty years on.

To our knowledge, Sarah Barnett is the only other Australian woman to have reached 1,000 miles in a certified race. She ran 18 days, 3 hours, 9 minutes, 35 seconds at the Sri Chinmoy 3,100 in 2014.

Wei Ming Lo also reached 1,000 miles today, in the early evening sunshine. It is the fifth time he has run the distance.

A race to 1,000 miles, and another national record

Later in the evening, we were intrigued to see whether Vasu or Nayaja would get to 1,000 miles first. They seemed to be running the same lap, one taking a small break, then the other.

In the end Nayaja reached it first, in 15 days, 16 hours, 2 minutes, 42 seconds — just three and a half minutes before Vasu, who recorded 15 days, 16 hours, 6 minutes, 15 seconds.

Our research suggests Nayaja is the first Italian woman to reach this distance, making hers the inaugural Italian women's record for 1,000 miles. We would welcome any information from other runners on this.

Her longest run to date came at the Sri Chinmoy 10-Day Race in April this year, where she recorded 966.572 km, or 600.599 miles. Every step from here on is beyond anything she has done before.

Vasu is no stranger to going past 1,000 miles, being a 13-time finisher of the 3,100.

MILESTONES (all TBC)

• Andrea Marcato — 1,100 miles in 15 days, 2 hrs, 1 min, 34 sec, and 1,800 km in 15 days, 6 hrs, 23 min, 26 sec
• Radu Budan — 1,700 km in 15 days, 11 hrs, 21 min, 55 sec
• Annabel Hepworth — 1,600 km in 15 days, 6 hrs, 22 min, 28 sec, and 1,000 miles in 15 days, 12 hrs, 21 min, 10 sec
• Wei Ming Lo — 1,000 miles in 15 days, 12 hrs, 21 min, 10 sec
• Vasu Duzhiy — 1,600 km in 15 days, 14 hrs, 35 min, 48 sec, and 1,000 miles in 15 days, 16 hrs, 6 min, 15 sec
• Nayaja Perugini — 1,600 km in 15 days, 7 hrs, 20 min, 32 sec, and 1,000 miles in 15 days, 16 hrs, 2 min, 42 sec
• Nina Huang-Lan — 1,400 km in 15 days, 8 hrs, 16 min, 37 sec
• Stutisheel Lebedev — 800 miles in 15 days, 9 hrs, 31 min, 27 sec, and 1,300 km in 15 days, 13 hrs, 18 min, 45 sec
• Ananda-Lahari Zuscin — 800 miles in 15 days, 12 hrs, 6 min, 30 sec, and 1,300 km in 15 days, 15 hrs, 12 min

DAILY STATS (all TBC)

• Andrea Marcato ran 71.2 miles today, going through 1,100 miles and 1,800 km along the way and finished on a cumulative total of 1,163.7 miles.
• Radu Budan ran another solid 66.3 miles, the second-highest daily total, giving him a cumulative 1,084.1 miles.
• Annabel Hepworth reached 1,000 miles late in the afternoon and went on to record another excellent 64.7 miles, closing the day on 1,031.5.
• Wei Ming Lo closed out the day with 62.5 miles, for a cumulative total of 1,017.2.
• Vasu Duzhiy went through 1,000 miles just three and a half minutes behind Nayaja, then stayed out longer in the evening to record 61.9 miles. That gives him 1,006.8 miles, nearly four ahead of her.
• Nayaja Perugini reached 1,000 miles for the first time and closed out 61.4 miles to finish the day on 1,003.0.
• Nina Huang-Lan had some foot trouble today and finished with 37.2 miles, improving her total to 884.4.
• Stutisheel Lebedev finished with 43.3 miles for a cumulative total of 816.5.
• Ananda-Lahari Zuscin, with a 44.4-mile day, improved his total to 814.3 miles.

"Self-transcendence
Is everybody's birthright."

— Sri Chinmoy

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1,000-mile stories and stats

Late on Saturday afternoon, Andrea Marcato became the first runner in this year's Sri Chinmoy 3,100 Mile Race to reach 1,000 miles.

It was the seventh time he has reached this milestone, and his third fastest. His previous efforts are listed below. He has started this year's race well, sustaining a daily average of over 73 miles across the first thirteen days.

Andrea Marcato — 1,000-mile time comparison

The fastest 1,000-mile split ever recorded in the Sri Chinmoy 3,100 Mile Race belongs to Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk, who passed the mark in 12 days, 15 hrs, 56 min, 40 sec in 2006 — the year he set a new 3,100-mile record of 41 days, 8 hrs, 16 min, 29 sec.

Ashprihanal Aalto ran it slightly slower, clocking 12 days, 17 hrs, 19 min, 40 sec on his way to the current 3,100-mile record of 40 days, 9 hrs, 6 min, 21 sec in 2015.

For the women, Taiwanese athlete Tsai Wen-ya set the fastest 1,000-mile split in the 3,100 in 2023, in 14 days, 8 hrs, 8 min, 8 sec.

As for the overall 1,000-mile road record, the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team has led the way in creating opportunities to attempt it. The legendary Greek runner Yiannis Kouros holds the best recorded time for the distance, a phenomenal 10 days, 10 hrs, 30 min, 36 sec, set in the Sri Chinmoy 1,000 Mile Race in Flushing Meadows Park, New York, in 1988 — an event that doubled as that year's IAU World Championship.

Three years later, New Zealand's Sandy Barwick recorded the best-ever women's 1,000-mile time of 12 days, 14 hrs, 38 min, 40 sec. Remarkably, it came as a split during the 1991 Sri Chinmoy 1,300 Mile Race, which she went on to win outright, becoming the first woman to complete the distance.

Most recorded 1,000-mile times on certified courses have come in races organised by the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team in New York. The 1,000-mile races, along with the 1,300-mile and 2,700-mile events, were the precursors of what is now the 3,100 Mile Race.

Over the next few days, we will welcome others over the 1,000-mile threshold.

DAILY MILESTONES (all TBC)

• Andrea Marcato — 1,600 km in 13 days, 9 hrs, 9 min, 48 sec, and 1,000 miles in 13 days, 10 hrs, 41 min, 52 sec
• Radu Budan — 900 miles in 13 days, 3 hrs, 17 min, 36 sec, and 1,500 km in 13 days, 11 hrs, 38 min, 40 sec
• Annabel Hepworth — 1,400 km in 13 days, 7 hrs, 29 min, 45 sec, and 900 miles in 13 days, 15 hrs, 34 min, 48 sec
• Wei Ming Lo — 1,400 km in 13 days, 11 hrs, 50 min, 46 sec
• Vasu Duzhiy — 1,400 km in 13 days, 11 hrs, 37 min, 16 sec
• Stutisheel Lebedev — 700 miles in 13 days, 3 hrs, 26 min, 1 sec
• Ananda-Lahari Zuscin — 700 miles in 13 days, 10 hrs, 29 min, 6 sec

DAILY STATS

• Andrea Marcato reached 1,000 miles early this afternoon and returned to 70-mile days, recording 70.7 miles and finishing on a cumulative total of 1,028.7 miles.
• Radu Budan replicated yesterday with 65.8 miles, taking him to a cumulative total of 952.0 miles. He should reach 1,000 miles around sunset tomorrow.
• Annabel Hepworth went through 900 miles early in the evening and closed out the day with her best total since day 1, recording 65.2 miles for a cumulative 903.7 miles.
• Vasu Duzhiy went back above 60 miles today, clocking 62.5. His cumulative total is now 885.1 miles.
• Nina Huang-Lan finished the day with 44.4 miles, improving her total to 797.9 miles, and is set to go through 800 tomorrow.
• Stutisheel Lebedev finished with 39.4 miles for a cumulative 726.5 miles.
• Ananda-Lahari Zuscin, with a 44.9-mile day, improved his total to 717.7 miles.

"Self-competition is self-transcendence,
World competition is ignorance-performance."

— Sri Chinmoy

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The mail man

The 3,100 runners are a hardy group. But when you are alone with your own thoughts, away from friends for weeks at a time, it is good to keep in touch.

The race has its own in-house messaging system, and friends — and even unknown admirers — can send messages through the race website. One of the long-time joint race directors, Sahisnu, receives them all. It falls to him to print them off as they arrive and bring them down to the course for the intended recipients.

For the last few days, Sahisnu has had trouble with his printer, leaving the messages stuck in the queue. Sarankuu came to the rescue, applying his not inconsiderable skills in the tech world to sort the problem out. The backlog was duly printed and brought to the race today, much to the joy of the runners.

Vasu had a huge pile waiting on his table. He always has a steady stream of messages from friends and well-wishers — sometimes with news, sometimes with a poem to inspire him.

Radu also has plenty from friends at home, and from fellow runners. His helper Adrian says that since Radu ran the 3,100 in 2024 he has been "famous" in the running world back home, so a great many runners write to him.

The runners really do appreciate these messages. They are a small but vital link to the outside world, and they can turn a challenging day into a better one, and a good day into a great one.

If you feel inspired to write to any or all of the runners, even if you don't know them, go to the race homepage and look for the "Message the runners" button.

DAILY MILESTONES (all TBC)

• Andrea Marcato — 1,400 km in 11 days, 11 hrs, 53 min, 26 sec
• Radu Budan — 800 miles in 11 days, 11 hrs, 58 min, 45 sec, and 1,300 km in 11 days, 14 hrs, 13 min, 40 sec
• Annabel Hepworth — 1,200 km in 11 days, 8 hrs, 57 min, 54 sec
• Wei Ming Lo — 1,200 km in 11 days, 11 hrs, 50 min, 46 sec
• Vasu Duzhiy — 1,200 km in 11 days, 12 hrs, 11 min, 51 sec
• Nayaja Perugini — 700 miles in 11 days, 2 hrs, 13 min, 27 sec, and 1,200 km in 11 days, 14 hrs, 5 min, 50 sec
• Nina Huang-Lan — 1,100 km in 11 days, 12 hrs, 28 min, 30 sec, and 700 miles in 11 days, 17 hrs, 19 min, 51 sec
• Ananda-Lahari Zuscin — 1,000 km in 11 days, 9 hrs, 24 min, 21 sec
• Stutisheel Lebedev — 1,000 km in 11 days, 11 hrs, 32 min, 57 sec

DAILY STATS

• Andrea Marcato: another 70-plus-mile day, his 73.0 miles again topping the daily rankings and taking him to a cumulative total of 892.8 miles. All being well, he will hit 900 miles tomorrow morning and reach 1,000 late on Saturday.
• Radu Budan finished the day with 68.0 miles, for a cumulative total of 820.4 miles, still holding second place.
• Annabel Hepworth closed out the day with yet another 63.0 miles, giving her a cumulative total of 775.9 miles.
• Wei Ming Lo closed out the day with 63.1 miles, finishing at 11 pm on a cumulative total of 767.2 miles.
• Vasu Duzhiy, as he usually does, stayed out until midnight, and his 64.1 miles was the best of the two. It takes him to 766.6 miles — close enough that just a single lap now separates him from Wei Ming Lo.
• Nayaja Perugini reached 700 miles in the early hours and closed out the day with 62.0 miles, for a cumulative total of 753.5 miles.
• Nina Huang-Lan had a strong day, hitting 700 miles late in the evening. Back up in the high fifties with 59.8 miles, she improved her total to 703.0 miles.
• Stutisheel Lebedev stayed in the high fifties, finishing with 58.1 miles for a cumulative 638.8 miles. That pushed him comfortably back ahead of Ananda-Lahari, and he now leads him by 10.4 miles.
• Ananda-Lahari Zuscin, with a 46.6-mile day, improved his total to 628.4 miles.

"Keep trying! Keep trying!
The goal cannot remain forever
A far cry."

— Sri Chinmoy

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Grand Central sunset

One side of the rectangular course around Thomas Edison High School and its playing fields runs alongside the Grand Central Parkway, a busy highway carrying commuters and residents to and from Long Island.

The sun currently sets here just after 7 pm, and our runners are often treated to spectacular colours and cloud formations as it drops behind the suburban Queens skyline.

For the runners, as for all of us, it is a time to reflect. They have been on their feet for over twelve hours by then, with the potential for another six to come. If the day has been warm, they know the cooler, darker evening hours will offer some respite from the direct sunlight.

They will be momentarily distracted by the sunset unfolding in front of them, but as runners on a mission to bring out the best in themselves, they will also be taking stock of how the day has gone. There may even be some mental gymnastics involved, as they work out their mileage so far and calibrate what is still achievable in the hours that remain.

How they feel at that point can dictate whether they stay on their current cruise control or raise the pace, almost imperceptibly, to eke out an extra lap or three in the evening session before going home at a time of their choosing.

A twenty-mile-plus midweek evening run won't feature on many runners' training schedules. But for the seasoned multi-day ultra-runners taking part in the Sri Chinmoy 3,100, it is quite normal — essential, even — as they move slowly forward on their extraordinary journey.

MILESTONES

• Andrea Marcato — 700 miles in 9 days, 0 hrs, 15 min, 6 sec
• Radu Budan — 1,000 km in 9 days, 1 hr, 7 min, 25 sec
• Annabel Hepworth — 600 miles in 9 days, 3 hrs, 29 min, 4 sec, and 1,000 km in 9 days, 9 hrs, 20 min, 48 sec
• Wei Ming Lo — 600 miles in 9 days, 6 hrs, 5 min, 55 sec, and 1,000 km in 9 days, 12 hrs, 10 min, 50 sec
• Vasu Duzhiy — 600 miles in 9 days, 6 hrs, 28 min, 47 sec, and 1,000 km in 9 days, 12 hrs, 37 min, 34 sec
• Nayaja Perugini — 600 miles in 9 days, 8 hrs, 42 min, 45 sec, and 1,000 km in 9 days, 13 hrs, 34 min, 20 sec

DAILY STATS

• Andrea Marcato: another day, another 100-mile milestone. He went through 700 miles and then added a 75.1-mile day to top the daily rankings, ending on a cumulative total of 748.0 miles.
• Radu Budan finished the day with 68.6 miles, for a cumulative total of 685.5 miles.
• Annabel Hepworth closed out the day with another 63.1 miles, taking her to 649.3 miles.
• Wei Ming Lo closed out the day with 64.7 miles, finishing at 11 pm on a cumulative total of 640.0 miles.
• Vasu Duzhiy, as he usually does, stayed out until midnight, which let him finish the day with 66.9 miles. That was enough to edge him ahead of Wei Ming, on a cumulative total of 642.2 miles.
• Nayaja Perugini closed out the day with 61.4 miles, for a cumulative total of 628.5 miles.
• Nina Huang-Lan had a better day, recording 55.4 miles and improving her total to 592.3 miles.
• Stutisheel Lebedev, after four days of around 60 miles, came back down to earth, finishing with 38.4 miles and a cumulative 524.3 miles.
• That allowed Ananda-Lahari Zuscin, with a 52.1-mile day, to leapfrog back ahead of Stutisheel, improving his total to 529.8 miles and taking a five-mile lead.

"Run, run my heart!
Run extremely fast.
Ignore, ignore,
The voices of the past."

— Sri Chinmoy

- race report and photos: Tarit

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Looking after your feet

In an extreme multi-day race like the Sri Chinmoy 3,100, you ask so much of your body. So much could go wrong.

Your feet, your main contact with the ground, are destined for a lot of punishment. Someone once tried to estimate the number of foot strikes in 3,100 miles, but with so many variables at play, God alone knows how many times your feet hit the ground.

All our runners, with experience gained over many years of training and racing, have learned how to look after their feet. By taking simple, basic precautions, they can stop major problems developing as the race goes on.

Today I watched Nayaja and her helper Roxanna take five minutes at a "pit stop" to care for her feet. It looked like a well-drilled operation, every task carried out in order and with precision.

• Old shoes off.
• Socks off.
• Feet wiped and dried, to remove even the tiniest grain of dust that could cause a problem.
• Insoles removed, shaken and wiped clean.
• Feet checked for any hotspots that could develop into a blister.
• A blister-prevention dressing on one toe checked, and the gaps between the toes dried.
• Fresh socks, turned inside out and shaken, then checked for wrinkles.
• The insoles of the new shoes removed and wiped as a final re-check.
• A short massage on the foot roller, while some of these other tasks were going on.
• Laces adjusted to just the right tension — a good fit, but not too snug.

So much care taken, and not a word spoken. Teamwork in action. Feet ready for some more sidewalk pounding.

DAILY STATS

Another busy day for milestones. With race leader Andrea reaching 500 miles yesterday, five more runners went through the 500-mile doorway today:

• Radu — 7 days, 3 hrs, 40 min, 30 sec
• Annabel — 7 days, 9 hrs, 29 min, 38 sec
• Wei Ming — 7 days, 14 hrs, 14 min, 46 sec
• Vasu — 7 days, 15 hrs, 14 min, 41 sec
• Nayaja — 7 days, 16 hrs, 7 min, 5 sec
• Andrea Marcato, running until very close to midnight, recorded 68.6 miles to take the best daily total of the day. It leaves him just short of 600 miles, on 599.4, and 48.8 miles clear of Radu.
• Radu Budan finished his day at 11.20 pm, having run 66.4 miles. On some days he is choosing not to run until the course closes at midnight, taking a little extra rest instead. His was the highest mileage of the day at the time he stopped, and it gives him a cumulative total of 550.6 miles.
• Annabel Hepworth, as well as reaching 500 miles, closed the day with 64.2 miles, maintaining her consistency and taking her to 523.2 miles.
• Wei Ming Lo stayed on recent form with a 63.1-mile day. It keeps him just ahead of Vasu, holding fourth place on 512.2 miles.
• Vasu Duzhiy continued his steady improvement with 66.4 miles, level with Radu for the second-highest total of the day. It gives him a cumulative total of 511.7 miles, one lap behind Wei Ming Lo.
• Nayaja Perugini added 63.0 miles to reach 503.4. Slowly, day by day, she is drawing ahead of Nina.
• Nina Huang-Lan recorded 55.4 miles for a total of 489.7 miles. She will pass 500 tomorrow, and remains well in contention.
• Ananda-Lahari Zuscin totalled 45.5 miles, taking him to 432.1.
• Stutisheel Lebedev continued his improving run with 60.4 miles. On 424.5, he is slowly edging closer to Ananda-Lahari.

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Two events, planets apart, with the same aim

Just over three miles from the 3,100-mile race, the US Open tennis championships are taking place at Flushing Meadows Park. Passing through the park today, we saw thousands of tennis fans arriving to watch the world's best do battle at the national tennis centre. Many millions more will be tuning in on television and streaming around the world. World-class players, the gladiators of the tennis court, are competing for a champion's prize of $5,500,000. Even first-round qualifiers are guaranteed a five-figure payday, and for the top echelon there are also whatever bonuses their sponsors' contracts offer — in some cases, quite substantial ones. For all of them, though, beyond the commercial trappings of elite sport, there remains a genuine love of the game and an inner drive to be the best they can be, and to transcend their existing limitations in their own way.

Meanwhile, back at Thomas Edison High School, a handful of running enthusiasts are on hand to witness the extraordinary exploits of nine runners aspiring to cover 3,100 miles. For these runners there are no financial rewards. Most will have made financial sacrifices simply to be able to take part. This is grassroots sport at its finest: runners doing what they love, with no thought of reward. Their outer reward will be a trophy, a T-shirt and a spontaneous round of applause. Their inner reward, like that of the tennis players, is unfathomable. All of them have a love and a passion for their chosen sport, and an inner urge to be the best they can be, whatever their standard. Two events, three miles apart and in some ways planets apart — and competitors with the same aim: to push their own inner and outer limits and find out what is possible.

In other news, the sun shone all day with intermittent cloud, and a fresh breeze helped cool things a little for the runners. Andrea went through 400 miles early in the morning, in 5 days, 2 hours, 11 minutes and 48 seconds. The heat doesn't seem to affect him. Radu also passed 400 miles, in 5 days, 13 hours, 3 minutes and 39 seconds.

DAILY STATS

Six days into the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3,100-Mile Race, a pattern is emerging as the runners settle into a routine.

• Andrea Marcato repeated yesterday's daily total of 75.1 miles, keeping him well in the lead with a cumulative total of 465.0 miles.
• Radu Budan likewise repeated his 68 miles, taking him to 417.3 miles and holding on to second place.
• Annabel Hepworth seems to have found her sweet spot. Her 62.5 miles was her fifth consecutive day of around 62 to 63 miles, giving her a cumulative total of 395.9 miles and setting her up to pass 400 tomorrow.
• Vasu Duzhiy had a challenging day, recording 54.9 miles — his lowest daily total so far — for a cumulative total of 381.7 miles.
• Lo Wei-Ming's 64.9 miles, his highest since day 1, drew him level with Vasu on a cumulative total of 381.7 miles.
• Nayaja Perugini had another solid day of 63 miles, giving her a cumulative total of 378.9 miles.
• Nina Huang-Lan's 60.3 miles gives her a cumulative total of 375.1 miles, still very much in touch with Nayaja.
• Ananda-Lahari Zuscin's 46.1 miles gives him a cumulative total of 334 miles.
• Stutisheel Lebedev's 60.9 miles was also his highest since day 1, giving him a six-day total of 307.7 miles.

"Life's perfection road is very long,
But the journey is richly rewarding."

— Sri Chinmoy

New

• Day 7 Perfection Journey
• 3100 Mile Race featured in National Geographic

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• Perfection Journey- 3100 Mile Race 2026
• Sri Chinmoy Ultra Photo 2026
• Runner interviews SCMT
• SCMT - Vimeo
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We are on day 4 of this amazing odyssey. A race of such staggering immensity and length throws up numerous statistics — some genuinely significant, as important milestones are reached and records set, and some just interesting ultra-trivia. See more about race in this article by Tarit

At around 7.30 on Wednesday evening, Stutisheel, who lies 9th in the field of nine runners, ran through the 200-mile barrier. A few minutes later, race leader Andrea Marcato breezed through 300 miles. The interesting statistic here is that already, on day 4, there are 100 miles between first and last place. Who knows how the race will unfold, or what gap will eventually separate first from last? Usually it is a matter of several days.

Where they finish doesn't really matter to our runners. More than any other ultra race, this one is about challenging oneself to achieve something remarkably difficult, however long it takes.

Away from the trivia, then, and on to the real daily mileages. In pure statistical terms, at the end of today Andrea is more than 30 miles ahead of Radu Budan, who lies second.

Marcato maintained his healthy lead but fell below the 70-mile mark for the first time. He ended the day with 69.1 miles and an overall total of 314.8 miles, becoming the first runner through the 300-mile barrier. Radu Budan eclipsed Andrea for the highest daily total, closing the day one lap further on with 69.6 miles, giving him a cumulative total of 281.3 miles and consolidating his 2nd place.

Annabel Hepworth finished the day with 62.5 miles and an overall total of 270.5 miles. Annabel again opted for her usual early finish at around 10.30 pm, to give herself a little more overnight recovery time. Vasu Duzhiy finished the day with 59.8 miles, for a total of 267.6 miles.

• Lo Wei-Ming looked to be having a challenging day but still managed 58.1 miles, taking him to 256.1 miles.
• Nayaja and Nina continued their own close race. Nayaja turned the tables on Nina today, recording 62.5 miles to Nina's 59.2. Nina holds a slender one-lap lead, their respective totals standing at 255.0 and 254.5 miles.
• Nayaja's daily total of 62.5 miles was identical to Annabel's and the joint third-best of the day.
• Ananda-Lahari Zuscin again ran a measured 60.3 miles, leaving him on 245.7 miles.
• Stutisheel Lebedev, with 48.3 miles, closed the day on 208.4 miles in total.

"My mind-distance is very long and uninspiring,
My heart-distance is very short and eventful."

— Sri Chinmoy

Follow the race

• Perfection Journey- 3100 Mile Race 2026
• Sri Chinmoy Ultra Photo 2026
• Runner interviews SCMT
•  - Nina Huang-Lan Interview
•  - Stutisheel Interview
•  - Radu Interview
• SCMT - Vimeo
• US Gallery 2026