Andrea's incredible achievement - some stats from our friend Matthias van Baaren
By Rupantar LaRussoauthor bio »
3 November
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.
As those of you who have been following the race know, we have occasionally received incredibly beautiful and detailed race statistics from 3100 Mile race enthusiast Matthias Van Baaren from Vienna which were a huge inspiration for our daily charts. View his charts from our 2016 race. Here is his latest contribution about this year's race and its relation to past performances.
Milan Javornicky- 4300km- 50:04:27:18; 2700miles- 50:13:13:06
Today was the penultimate day, and still meaningful in the 3100 Mile Race spectrum. Nirbhasa Magee has run the gamut of emotional feelings no doubt, during this race. He has run better and faster than he has done this year, and yet, his perseverance, in the light of near empty energy issues and other maladies, speaks volumes of his tenacity, intensity, and never-give-up attitude. He could have dropped out of the race a few weeks ago, but has maintained his composure and won the battle over himself. Tomorrow, after 44 more laps, (45.92km/ 28.53 miles) he will enjoy an endgame of victory that only he can describe and appreciate. We can easily admire and learn from his determination and surrender to whatever happens. Nirbhasa, you are one tough cookie and great human being. Rest easy after the cheers have faded. And eat everything in site. Take a few days or weeks off please, you have earned it.
Sometime between 14:00 and 15:35 hours, he will reach 3100 miles. The other two lads will do what they do.
Today was typical Salzburg weather, a little rain here and there. Luckily it was not too cold.
Ushika had a great last day. Friends cheered him and ran with him a few laps.
He finished around 5:30 pm. Because it was already dark we had a beautiful magical finish with the help of fireworks.The program was a replica of Andrea’s program. Ushika wished for a different cake, which is called Kardinal-Schnitte, a very creamy white cake, which was decorated in the colours of the Austrian flag. After a few of Sri Chinmoy’s songs the Austrian hymn was sung. Smarana gave a little speech about Ushika and his performance. Ushika gave a speech and thanked everybody, including first and foremost our Beloved Guru Sri Chinmoy! All the other runners congratulated him wholeheartedly. Andrea too, he is still here.Ushika improved his former finish time by 19 hours. Congratulations!!! His new personal best (from today on): 49 days 11 hours and 27 minutes
Nirbhasa reached 3000 miles shortly after Ushika’s finish and was very happy about this. Now he really sees an end coming…..
Nirbhasa and Milan closed the day with the same mileage, 89,7 km. Two first places today. I think for the first time in the whole Race.
Ananda-Lahari moved on with devoted surrender and reached 82,4 km at midnight.
Ushika Muckenhumer finished the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race today in a personal best that was 20 hours and six minutes faster than his time from 2018. He averaged 100.852 km / 62.666 miles per day. This is his second podium finish in the three years of running the longest race. He went over 60 miles per day in 36 of the last 38 days, erasing a small deficit and finishing a day earlier. His body has been transformed into a running machine, thanks to his dedication and surrender to the moment, not to mention his faith in the Higher power, and his grateful demeanor. What a warrior. Congratulations Ushika.
Nirbhasa Magee went through the 3000 mile split for the fourth time in his multi-day career, and is poised to finish well before the end of the Race on Tuesday. Milan Javornicky and Ananda-Lahari will continue until asked to stop.
Tejvan organises short-distance running and cycling races for the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team in his home city of Oxford. He is also a very good cyclist, having won the National hill climb championships in 2013 and finished 3rd in the National 100 Mile Time Trials in 2014.
Runners at the start of the race
Andrea Marcato finish
Ushika Muckenhumer finish
Milan Javornicky (on left)
Ananda-Lahari Zuscin
Nirbhasa (right) and Sadanand Magee
Musicians offer encouragement
Counters for the race
Some of the many helpers take short break
Ushika with family celebrating finish
Andrea runs through the rain
Runners and musicians
Interest from locals
Rainbow over the course
The 2020 edition of the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence Race was held in Salzburg, Austria with five runners attempting to complete the 3,100 miles (nearly 5,000km). Usually, the race is held in New York, US, but due to Covid could not occur this year. Undaunted by the challenges of organising this epic race at short notice, a team of volunteers put on an excellent race around a scenic 1km loop in Salzburg. Although the race numbers were limited to five runners, the event required the dedicated support of helpers, cooks, counters and marshalls to ensure the safe running of this event. Event organiser Priyavadin Reisecker, who runs The Heart of Joy cafe in Salzburg, ensured that the race was able to offer this unique event in the new location. The organisers and runners also had to deal with one of the wettest autumns on record and frequent rain - which made the race more challenging for the 16 hour days.
The standout performance of the race was the remarkable achievements of race debutant Andrea Marcato (38) from Italy. His time of 43 days, 12 hours, 7 minutes is a record for a first-time entrant and the fifth fastest finish of all time. He also set multiple Italian distance records during his run and is now ranked fifth worldwide. After finishing he said:
“I am really happy that I basically covered all the distances, which are available in the world. So I am really happy and satisfied now. The feeling of deep satisfaction, inner peace and joy, which I perceived for a whole month after finishing 10-day races motivated me to run the world's longest certified road race. A feeling which I did not get after 24-hour races.”
A report of his final day is available here, and some of Marcato's statistics can be seen in this summary here.
In second place, was Austrian Ushika Muckenhumer (52) who lives serendipitously close to the course. He finished with a personal best time of 49 days, 14 hours, 13 minutes and was ably encouraged by his family and friends. During the race, he also received the particular support of the Austrian President who sent the runners a message of good wishes for their feats of self-transcendence.
“I can't even imagine what it is like to run constantly through 52 days. Yes, I like to go hiking for a few hours. But running 52 days, 118 marathons - unbelievable! What a breathtaking endurance performance. You are assured of my respect. I wish all participating athletes, especially the Salzburg local hero Hubert Muckenhumer, all the best, lots of success and the necessary perseverance for the next extremely challenging days of running ” (link)
The 3100 Mile Race
In third place was Nirbhasa Magee from Ireland. It was Magee's fourth finish out of four entries to the race - a great record made more remarkable for his period of illness during the race which left him with an understandable feeling of exhaustion. However, battling through tiredness, he walked for several days and was able to finish on the last day after accumulating a buffer in the earlier part of the race.
Ananda-Lahari Zuscin, 45, from Slovakia could not finish within the allotted time, but cheerfully raced for 51 days to accumulate 2799.6 miles. Zuskin has finished the race on six occasions and is one of the most frequent entrants, impressing watchers with his cheerfulness and determination, no matter how fast he is able to run.
Milan Javornicky, 46, from the Czech Republic was another first-time entrant and he achieved his own feat of self-transcendence, overcoming painful shin splints to manage 2,713.9 miles. Despite his obvious discomfort for much of the race, he was determined to keep going and run as best he could.
All five runners in their own different ways lived up to the ideal of self-transcendence, which Sri Chinmoy has made the heart of the race.
“I do not have any set goal; my goal is self-transcendence. I always try to transcend myself. I do not compete with the rest of the world. I compete only with myself, and I try to become a better human being. This is my ultimate goal.”
– Sri Chinmoy
Sri Chinmoy, a spiritual teacher himself was a notable athlete, running several marathons and ultra-marathons. He founded the 3100 Mile Race in 1996 as the ultimate test for runners to challenger their own physical, mental and spiritual limits. In particular, speaking at the first awards ceremony on 2 August 1997, Sri Chinmoy envisaged the wider impact of this special race to spread goodwill and peaceful energy.
Sri Chinmoy at the 3100 Mile Race in NY
"This 3,100 miles is an unprecedented journey in our world-peace-manifestation-dream. World-peace can come into existence only when we are inundated with patience and perseverance. Infinite patience we need in our inner life and perseverance we need in our outer life.
These 3,100 miles remind us of one divine and supreme reality: we can and we must do everything at our command to transform the world of lethargy and unwillingness to be dynamic. Unwillingness we do not leave behind us. Therefore happiness remains always a far cry. Willingness to give, willingness to achieve, willingness to grow and glow should be the message of our souls. With our souls' blessings we can and will fulfil our earthly life." - Sri Chinmoy
Local support
The race also captured the imagination of many locals who got used to seeing the runners and helpers out on the course. Many remarked on how they were inspired by the runners and how the race had a noticeable impact on the atmosphere of the park
"I've been noticing the tent for days, but I thought it was just one of the many charity events. Now I know the data, facts and background. You need time to really understand it. These five men make the impossible possible. We come here every day now." Race coverage local press
Local Kindergarten teacher Präauer was reported in the local press as saying:
"Since the beginning of the race there has been a subtle and even more clear change in the living space in our area. The peaceful coexistence becomes visible every day. Total strangers talk to each other, look at each other, are interested....There is a new openness for many who enter and use this park: walkers, runners, cyclists, children and again more children, dogs, people of many nationalities and in between the athletes who meditatively and actively dedicate their life to peace. I am happy with everyone who experiences this. And I am happy for the many children who are watching enthusiastically and are given new role models." Article on the race
The event has been covered in several papers across Europe including
Today we were blessed with blue skies and sunshine. The sunny weather was reflected in the faces of all the helpers, who come from so many different countries: Brazil, Germany, Poland, Ireland, England, France, Portugal, Switzerland, Netherlands, Czech, Slovakia, Italy, Japan, California, New York, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and of course Austria.
Among the recently arrived delegation from Portugal is the great Paralympic marathon runner, Jorge Pina. Jorge competed for his country in Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016. He will compete in Tokyo when it is rescheduled.
Jorge is the epitome of Self-Transcendence. In his younger days he was a famous up and coming boxer, a rising star, when an unfortunate sparring accident left him deprived of his eyesight. He immediately channelled all his energy into running. Now he runs an Academy in Lisbon that offers children from poorer backgrounds a chance to develop their athletic capacities. He is a source of sleepless inspiration and boundless positivity.
Everyone who comes to help at this 3100 mile race does so as a volunteer. It is this culture of selflessness that makes this event a most valuable experience for all involved. The runners are giving everything to complete the course. The helpers are giving everything to support the runners. The joy comes from the dedication. The reward is the profound sense of oneness. What a model for the world at large.
Ushika had one more very steady day. He managed this day with only one
20 minute break. Getting once more the ‘victory of the day’, with 109,5 km.
Shortly before midnight, Jorge Pina ran with him for a while. Which gave Ushika a real thrill. At midnight they very warmly embraced each other. This was Ushikas’ last full 18-hour day. Tomorrow he has another 68 km (42 miles)
to run, to reach the long awaited goal of 3100 miles. He will better his previous finishing time by almost one day. He finished in 2018 in 50 days 7 hours and 34 minutes. This year, tomorrow approximately at 6 pm in 49 days and 12 hours.
Today in second place Milan ran a steady 92,8 km. He has very nice helpers from his Czech teammates.
Nirbhasa with 87,6 km is ‘bringing the Race home’. This years’ experience for him has not been comfortable or enjoyable.
Sometimes when a runner has to walk a lot it can feel like time goes slower. Being able to jog gives much more joy, more dynamism ….
But sometimes the very difficult Races can give us rewards we would never imagine, especially inwardly and most of the time we might find out long after the Race is over. Thank you, Nirbhasa for not giving up and finishing the Race so humbly and devotedly.
Ananda-Lahari did 83,4 km. For the second time in this Race I heard him asking for coffee….
During the last sentence Nayak from Seattle wrote me:
‘ Hi Priyavadin, please pass a message along to Nirbhasa. Tell him that all of the Sri Chinmoy Centre Seattle is rooting for him. We feel inspiration very mightily from his heroic effort. It brings tears to our eyes. To do this kind of thing makes Guru so present to us.
Please pass along to Nirbhasa and tell him we are running with him. Nayak ‘
Let us celebrate Ushika’s victory tomorrow!
Priyavadin
Stats
Ushika Muckenhumer- 3000miles- 48:03:09:46; 4900km- 48:14:55:25- both PB’s
Nirbhasa Magee- 4700km- 48:03:54:52
Ananda-Lahari Zuscin-4300km-48:09:03:50
Milan Javornicky- 2600miles- 48:17:25:55
Ushika Muckenhumer has only 66 laps to reach his 3100-mile Goal- 68.88km/ 42.801miles. He should finish around 1700 local time, give or take 30 minutes due to weather conditions, or running faster as the goal approaches, or, even- much faster speed. He will reach a personal best by nearly 14 hours, eclipsing his 2018 effort. He will move up a place or two on the all-time list. What a runner. You can get a more accurate estimate by watching the webcam on www.3100.srichinmoyraces.org.
The other three runners were steady again, with Nirbhasa on pace to finish Tuesday evening, easily before the endgame.
Milan keeps setting personal best distances and is running consistently. Last year on Day 49 in New York, Ananda-Lahari ran 89.45 miles, the most anyone has ever run so late in the event. Will he extend it to Day 50 this year at Salzburg? Inquiring minds wish to know, although, I feel he could do that, and maybe even 100miles, if the effort from body, mind and heart struck his fancy.
After yesterday’s continuous downpour of rain and a tree falling just by the course, today seemed relatively peaceful. By 11.00am the rain had gone for the day, making things easier and more comfortable for runners and helpers alike. The sun even peeped out from the cloudy sky to bless the tops of the trees as it fell into the western horizon.
The runners were circling the course in a clockwise direction today. After passing the base camp and replenishing themselves with a sweet or savoury snack, they run about 20 metres to the hairpin bend. After the sharp turn they are running with the creek on their left and the children’s playground on their right. The creek is full of water flowing rapidly and powerfully in the same direction as the runners, urging them on with its playful dynamism. In the playground, tiny children all dressed up in their winter coats, are playing on the climbing frames or bouncing on the trampoline, completely engrossed in their world within another world.
The path turns right and then left. At the junction, three girls are singing sacred songs. The runners hear these uplifting melodies as they pass, and the offering is also appreciated by every dog-walker, cyclist and pedestrian passing by. As the sound of the melody fades, the runners turn left, back towards the creek. Soon there is a dense copse of trees on their right, and they are in a fairy-tale land. On the left is the sound of the rushing water, and on the right the deep silence of the noble trees.
The waters in the creek finally rush into the Salzach River and the runners turn right. The path is wider here. The expanse of the river and the wide-open sky offer panoramic views of the city and mountains in the distance. Here there is a slight incline, up which the runners stride until they are level with the bridge that crosses the river. They turn right away from the river, gently descending a winding narrow path back into the park.
With all the recent rain, the park is vibrant with the colour green. To the left of the winding path the ground rises up, to the right it drops away down to a little pond. The path sweeps gently to the left, the base camp comes into view, and the grassy mound on the left tapers down into an open field. And so our heroic runners complete the loop.
Salzburg is notorious for its rainy climate. While the rain has been a challenge for our intrepid athletes, it also seems to be a blessing. The air is fresh and the course is rich with life energy and the beauty of nature.
Ananda-Lahari had a slow start in the morning, around noon he started to run faster. Unfortunately at around 4:30 pm the 'Goddess of speed ' left him. At around 9:30 pm Ananda-Lahari left the course for a well deserved good night rest, having 75,1 km in his pocket.
Nirbhasa had a difficult day. But still he kept the mileage up to stay safe to finish the Race on day 52. He brought 86,6 km at a safe haven.
Milan had Jwalanta as a helper today. He reached 92,8 km. That brought him 2nd place. Well done Milan!
Ushika’s night helper Sumandala gives us (including Ushika) a lot of joy. Nearly every lap, even when Ushika is screaming at him, he has a great joke on his lips. Ushika was the winner of the day with 109,5 km. He can already ‘ smell ‘ the finish line. This Sunday we will celebrate his Grande Finale….
The clock is ticking faster in a multi-day runner’s brain. The end cannot come too soon, the end will come when it is supposed to, or the end is only another race in the future. However, the growing inner heart, the purveyor of the journey, beyond the mind and body, is enjoying the constant forward movement, struggle after struggle, joy after joy, until a level of satisfaction permeates the entire being. As the great yogis say ’ You are more than you appear to be…’
And that is the beauty of the long ones- all the striving and surviving somehow make a runner a different person, a better person, perhaps, but never the same as before the journey. For a brief moment-all is good, all is peace. That is what life is about. One foot in front of the other, always forward, never backwards.
Sunday, just around the dinner hours, Salzburg’s hero will taste the joy. Ushika Muckenhumer has only 171 laps to go to reach 3100 miles. If he duplicates todays’ effort or close to it- 68 miles on Saturday, he will have only 42 miles/ 68 km left on Sunday.
The rain again took the runners hostage. From morning to midnight it was drizzling or pouring down. Nevertheless, the runners seem to have adjusted to the rain and are in good spirits. Ananda-Lahari has found his rhythm again and is on the move. Ushika is like a German tank and Milan looks very confident. The rain also keeps the helpers busy. Bipin, Devashishu and Horst are taking shifts in cleaning the surface and removing some big puddles, at least it keeps them warm by temperatures around 10 degrees. Luckily there is not much wind today, so the ‘chill factor’ is not so high....
Nirbhasa bravely walks, sometimes tries to jog and so gets the best out of the situation. He closed the day at midnight with 85,5 km, which is again above the average mileage that he needs for finishing the Race on the 52nd day.
Ananda-Lahari had another good running day (no walking, Yeahh) with a great result considering that the heavy rain conditions were extremely hard. He succeeded in covering 115,8 km. I do not know if anyone else could do that, he had in 18 hours of rain not a single break. The only lap split that could look like a break was 7 min longer than usual. So one could say he had one 7 min break for the whole day. Wow! Of course, he was the winner of the day!
Milan reached at night for the first time in his life the 4000 km landmark, which we celebrated shortly with bells and ‘Bengali fire’. His final result was 92,8 km.
Ushika proved his theory wrong that on the days with ‘holy’ numbers (like it is 47 for us, because India gained freedom in 1947) he has it very difficult. True it was very difficult because of the rain, but his daily mileage was magnificent,105,4 km. Which brought him second place. He reached at night 4700 km, on the 47th day! The math is easy 100 km a day….
Ushika Muckenhumer is moving quickly closer to the goal. His dream of finishing on Sunday evening is real. He has 276 laps to go. He only needs 92 laps per day to finish Sunday evening. 178.16 miles / 286.72km remain. Ananda-Lahari does what he does. He goes against the grain, but he just listens to his intuition and asks the Higher power within whether he should run. he is the mildest multi-day runner we have ever had in our races. Milan is doing well, and for him to reach over 4000km is a great effort. Nirbhasa knows he will finish. He is just praying that he can run and the energy will return. Five days remain. God Bless you all, men. You are doing it, all the way.
The temperature was very good for running today, and no rain in sight.
Andrea came in the morning at 6:30 and ran nearly a half marathon.
He came back at around 10:30 am to finish the half marathon. In between he gave three interviews and was enjoying life; he is especially focusing on eating and sleeping.
Nirbhasa did 85,5 km. At night one could feel his strength is coming slowly back. He also felt it and said he hopes like the other 3 runners he wishes to run tomorrow. The other 3 runners did very well today. Baridhi returned today to Salzburg to be a helper for Nirbhasa. The Irishman is on track to finish the Race in time, but he would be very happy if he could run more….
Ananda-Lahari was going slow the first 5 hours, but very fast the remaining 13 hours. He won the day with mighty 116,8 km. Congratulations!
Milan is pushing hard and brought it up to 97 km today. Bravo!
Ushika is fully back; he described his day as ‘excellent’. He came in second with 111,6 km. it was his second best mileage of the whole Race. He is very particular with his shoes. For a long time the only brand that he can run in was ordered, but did not arrive.
Today one pair was shipped, Matthias a friend of his drove today all the way to Vienna to buy him 4 more pairs of the same shoe. Thank you Matthias! Ushika has Sumandala and Carlos as handlers. They split the 18 hours in two shifts. Gratitude to both of them! Ushika is still on track to finish late night on Sunday.
If Ushika can finish before 13:30 local time on Monday, he will set a new personal best for 3100 miles. He has 392 kms to go/ 243.6 miles, which is 377 laps. Anywhere between 103 and 107 laps for the next four days will get him there. Nirbhasa will be about 16-18 hours after Ushika, and still he has to maintain his 82 to 90 laps per day. Ananda-Lahari flexed his running muscles today. It is too bad it took 13 days for him to switch to running, but he knows his body better than anyone. Milan is doing quite well. His body is finally transformed into a running machine, after so much injury.
Six days left, gentlemen. Show them where you live!
Today started with low temperatures and rain. In contrast with yesterday and the big celebrations for Andrea’s finish, it was very quiet. The four remaining competitors forged on silently and steadily. The finish yesterday was like a big firework display, full of noise and celebration. In some ways that would have been a source of energy for the runners, but it might also have been a challenge.
This morning, Nirbhasa cheerfully commented that every time he tries to push his body, it feels worse, and so he is trying to find a gentler rhythm and flow. He closed the day at midnight with 85,5 km and said good-bye with a soulful smile. The 85,5 km he did would be enough for an average daily mileage to finish the Race on time.
Ananda-Lahari seemed to be enjoying the tranquility. With an inner intensity he pushed forward, walking the whole day, avoiding any distractions. He finished the day with 76,1 km, as usual in his unreachable poised manner.
There was a noticeable intensity in Milan’s efforts today as well – he is looking strong and running briskly at regular intervals. That made him the winner of the day with 97 km, for the first time in this Race he had the honor to get that position.
Ushika looked as strong as ever, striding forward with his unique style and gait. Unfortunately he had no speed today and covered ‘only’ 90,7 km. It seems he luckily has no extra pain.
Walking with him I read to him the new very long and very inspiring online-article we got this morning from our dear journalist-friend Gerald Lehner on ORF.at, including 23 beautiful pictures. That made Ushika very happy, because the article is also focusing on the great letters of support we got from our president and from two ladies who live close by the park and really express their gratitude to the runners and helpers for the positive change in the park. Also our city newspaper Salzburger Nachrichten produced a short article with a photo of Ushika congratulating Andrea.
The effects of the winner of the 3100 Mile Race finishing earlier than most, leaves a hole in the energy of the race. The remaining runners have to strengthen their determination, and continue the journey, some knowing full well that the desired goal is lost in this journey. After yesterday’s energizing and spectacular finish by Andrea Marcato, the course takes on a different feel. The top two remaining are hoping for a real finish, but that is at least a week away, a lot of laps still to be covered. Here, our sympathetic oneness comes into play. They are all good runners, doing something almost all of us observers could never do, in this lifetime. Yet, they continue to persevere and move forward. That is what we do, us normal humans. We move along, inspired to do our best in our own endeavors. And that is the meaning of this race. What do we learn, that is up to our own observation, and ultimately, our own aspiration to move forward. The opportunity is there, to make the most out of something good and great. Thanks fellas, for being in the battle, and carrying the banner of progress.
Day 44: Andrea Marcato Wins Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race 2020 Salzburg
By Sahishnu Szczesiul
26 October
Andrea finishes the 3100 mile race in 43 days+12:07:26
Andrea reaching half-way in the rain
The finisher
Ushika and Andrea run past musicians
It was mostly cloudy all day, at night the rain came. Andrea the Great finished before the rain started.
On this special day, the excitement began to grow throughout the day in anticipation of Andrea's glorious finish. An archway of balloons was constructed on the finish line. A victory cake had been prepared for the occasion. At the end of his penultimate lap, Andrea was given an Italian flag and a 3100-mile race flag to carry in each hand around the final lap. He was also adorned with a cape in the Green, White and Red colours of his national flag. He flew around the course in the dark and everyone waited for him to emerge along the final straightaway. As the flying and fearless hero finally came into sight, a great cheer went up from the spectators, who had formed a socially distanced wave to bring him to the finish line. Fireworks were lit and rose petals thrown. Conches were blown and bells were rung.
After 43 day and 12 hours, Andrea completed his heroic endeavour, brimming with joy and energy. He took a seat and his fellow countryman, Nivedak Corradini, placed the victory laurel on his head. He sat like a Roman emperor, basking in the delight. He finished the 3100 miles in 43 days, 12 hours, 7 minutes and 26 seconds. New record for the best first timer!!! He is the 5th person who finished the 3100-Mile Race under 44 days. And averaged over 71 miles per day.
He ran the second half of the race faster than the first. The little ceremony was done with a few of Sri Chinmoy’s songs, a short speech from our race director Smarana (he himself has run the 3100 ten times) and then from Andrea.
A huge cake was given on Andrea’s lap. He was sitting on the side of the scoreboard. Afterwards he went for another ten laps to finish 5000km. After completing the 5000km landmark he did one final ‘Gratitude-Lap’. Impressive!
Andrea mentioned that the last three days felt for him longer than the whole race before.
What I saw in him was a sportsman on the peak of his physical fitness. Also mentally and emotionally very strong being over 20 years a spiritual son of Sri Chinmoy. Andrea is a man full of determination and at the same time full of sweetest heart-power.
Ushika brought it up to 101,2 km, which brought him the honour of the winner of the day because Andrea finished 6 hours before the day ended. If Ushika keeps going like this he will finish Sunday night. Milan achieved 91,8 km. He is having a good teamwork with Diogo his handler from Portugal. Thank you Diogo! Plus quite a few friends from Czech Republic were visiting this weekend.
Nirbhasa had little energy this day. But still he could manage to bring it up to 93,9 km, which gave him the 2nd place for the day. His brother Sadanand is a great helper! Thank you Sadanand!
Ananda-Lahari is still walking, doing the same mileage as yesterday 80,3 km. He finished the day at 11:46 pm. Yesterday during the day he met me at the course and said it is a real Victory, isn’t it? Of course meaning the whole race….
Priyavadin
Andrea Marcato, 38, from Italy won the pandemic version of the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race, that was held in Salzburg, Austria. The athletic Mr Marcato, who currently lives in Zurich, became the fastest first-time runner to finish the longest multi-day race on the calendar, completing 3100 miles in 43 days+12:07:26. He averaged 114.480 km/ 71.268 miles per day. Out of the 49 people in the world who have completed the 3100 mile race, he is now ranked fifth fastest. To give some insight into his physical prowess, Andrea ran his first 1000 miles in 14:05:20:20- an Italian national record. His second 1000 miles improved to 14:01:56:27. His third was the best of the three- 13:23:14:10. Self-transcendence was the order of the race for Mr Marcato.
He and four other men have been running up to 18 hours a day since September 13th. The four other competitors have another eight days to reach the 3100-mile goal. The venue was only secured, and permission obtained for the race to take place not even two weeks before the start.
The 3100 Mile Race was the gift vision of Sri Chinmoy (1931-2007), a spiritual master of the highest order, originally from South India, whose Marathon Team, founded in 1977, has been putting on multi-day events in New York since 1985. The first 3100 Mile Race was held in 1997. All the previous versions have been on a 883.2 meter course in Jamaica, NY. Because of cancellation due to covid-19, the Salzburg effort was a boon to this group of starters. A beautiful, accessible park with spectacular vistas may have helped the happy Mr Marcato climb to new heights in the running world. The smiling helpers, encouraging at all hours of the day and night, were also a major factor. Thank you Salzburg and Austria, you have made the 3100 family very proud and humble at the same time.
Great sunny weather the whole day, but it was foggy at night.
An Austrian couple was coming from Bad Goisern, which is 70 km from Salzburg. The wife was biking and the husband was running and walking. The enormous distance that the runners accomplish inspired them to do so. They visited the runners for the third time. The husband said that the five runners are awesome.
It seemed Andrea took full advantage of the one hour extra sleep. He ran the whole day with only one 10 min break. After ten minutes sleeping really deep he said to Carlos (his helper), ‘can I rest 2 minutes more? ‘. Carlos understood that he asked if he is already two minutes longer on his break and said ‘NO!’
Andrea with no hesitation changed his mind and got out of the medical to run. I tried to explain the situation but all three of us just laughed. Andrea and I said God was speaking through Carlos.
Andrea finished first place with 121 km (75,2 miles), two laps more as he did on the first day. It was his best daily result in the whole Race. WHAT A FEAT!
Ushika still in top form came in second place with 107,4 km. he had the same mileage as yesterday. He was again very happy with his outcome.
Milan got very tired in the afternoon. Nevertheless he also managed to run the same distance as the day before. He made 93,9 km, good for third place
Nirbhasa started running again. Yeah! He called it a day a little earlier than the other runners. Went home at 11:34 pm with 93,9 km in his pocket. He hopes to finish the race on day 52.
Ananda-Lahari had to walk and doing so he accomplished 80,3 km.
Every night after stopping at midnight he meditates for one or two minutes at his place in the tent. Today it happened that three of us helpers were standing behind him. We took advantage and meditated with him, which was very delightful.
Priyavadin
Stats
Andrea Marcato- 4800km- 42:02:40:13; 3000mi- 42:06:30:57- fifth fastest all-time
Milan Javornicky- 2200mi- 42:02:00:32; 3600km- 42:12:54:30
Ushika Muckenhumer is on pace to break his own best time for 3100 miles, set in 2018, if he can maintain his current stellar pace. When you consider how he suffered in the 2019 3100 in New York, with shin splints and other issues, including heat problems, it is a testament to his inner and outer strength, and his faith in the Higher power to be doing so well right now after six weeks.
Andrea Marcato has broken many national records already in the race, and will set an event record for the fastest first time finish on Monday. He also became the fifth fastest man all-time at 3000 miles today. He has only 82 laps- 85.58km / 53.17 miles, to go to reach 3100 miles. He might finish between 18:00 and 19:00 hours local time.
It was raining at the start today. The forecast kept saying in two or three hours it will stop but instead of that until 5 pm every few hours it got worse. At 5 pm luckily the rain disappeared. And the remaining hours the 5 heroes had great conditions to run until midnight. And they all stayed nearly till the last minute.
Andrea had a good nights sleep last night. And this night will be even better because there is one hour more available because we change for wintertime at 3 am. Today the first 11 hours the rain was slowing Andrea down. But still he did finish the day with 113,7 km. Good enough for first place. Luckily his pain was far less than yesterday. He has 126 miles left to run……
In spite of the heavy rain, Ushika had another great day. He came in second place with 107,4 km. He was very happy with this outcome. Because he has no personal helper he is always the last to go home to sleep. He biked home at 12:17. When I asked him what happened, why he is so late? He said ‘ Is it already 12:30 ? ’.
Milan had it a little more difficulty than yesterday, quite similar to Andrea and Ushika. He made 93,9 km, good for third place
Nirbhasa is still forced to walk, because of his exhaustion. He walked soulfully and happily for 77,2 km.
Ananda-Lahari started out at 6 am very fast but unfortunately had to change for walking after a few laps. He had a difficult evening. Finally he reached 81,4 km and was the first of the 5 runners to be driven home at 11:55 pm. He mentioned to Dhaneshvar, his driver, that he feels he has to walk tomorrow. As I mentioned before, luckily for Ananda-Lahari it is not a big drama. He is experienced in running and in surrendering to whatever comes.
Six weeks on the road, the five runners are still moving. Two months ago, they were still training, thinking about upcoming weeks and months without any races or competitions. The body does not lose the muscle memory from years of training, unless the mind intentionally shuts down or ignores the urge to go forward. The only other reason is if you stop running completely, which, to the ultra athlete is inconceivable. Now, after 42 days, there is light at the end of the struggle. The first pioneer will have reached his destination on Monday, which will leave four more to carry-on, contemplate their fate, and plan for the after-glow of rest and relaxation when Day 52 is completed. But chances are, all five runners will never be the same, will not feel the same, and will not think the same. They will have transformed themselves by going within, breathing purer energy, and transcending their own expectations. As Sri Chinmoy has said and written so many times, “ The determination in your heroic effort will permeate your mind and heart, even after you success or failure is long forgotten.”
They are good, they are great, they are lucky to have run. Carry on, Men.
It was raining at the start today. The forecast kept saying in two or three hours it will stop but instead of that until 5 pm every few hours it got worse. At 5 pm luckily the rain disappeared. And the remaining hours the 5 heroes had great conditions to run until midnight. And they all stayed nearly till the last minute.
Andrea had a good nights sleep last night. And this night will be even better because there is one hour more available because we change for wintertime at 3 am. Today the first 11 hours the rain was slowing Andrea down.
But still he did finish the day with 113,7 km. Good enough for first place. Luckily his pain was far less than yesterday. He has 126 miles left to run……
In spite of the heavy rain Ushika had another great day. He came in second place with 107,4 km. He was very happy with this outcome. Because he has no personal helper he is always the last to go home to sleep. He biked home at 12:17. When I asked him what happened, why he is so late? He said ‘ Is it already 12:30 ? ’.
Milan had it a little more difficulty than yesterday, quite similar to Andrea and Ushika. He made 93,9 km, good for third place
Nirbhasa is still forced to walk, because of his exhaustion. He walked soulfully and happily for 77,2 km.
Ananda-Lahari started out at 6 am very fast but unfortunately had to change for walking after a few laps. He had a difficult evening. Finally he reached 81,4 km and was the first of the 5 runners to be driven home at 11:55 pm. He mentioned to Dhaneshvar, his driver,that he feels he has to walk tomorrow. As I mentioned before, luckily for Ananda-Lahari it is not a big drama. He is experienced in running and in surrendering to whatever comes.
Six weeks on the road, the five runners are still moving. Two months ago, they were still training, thinking about upcoming weeks and months without any races or competitions. The body does not lose the muscle memory from years of training, unless the mind intentionally shuts down or ignores the urge to go forward. The only other reason is if you stop running completely, which, to the ultra athlete is inconceivable. Now, after 42 days, there is light at the end of the struggle. The first pioneer will have reached his destination on Monday, which will leave four more to carry-on, contemplate their fate, and plan for the after-glow of rest and relaxation when Day 52 is completed. But chances are, all five runners will never be the same, will not feel the same, and will not think the same. They will have transformed themselves by going within, breathing purer energy, and transcending their own expectations. As Sri Chinmoy has said and written so many times, “ The determination in your heroic effort will permeate your mind and heart, even after your success or failure is long forgotten.”
They are good, they are great, they are lucky to have run. Carry on, Men.
The weather was again quite warm today, perfect for running.
Andrea had a good night’s sleep He suffered the whole day from fore foot pain.
As usual fighting all sorts of problems inner and outer (physical and mental) he won the day with terrific 116,8 km. This outcome, like yesterday, was almost miraculous for him.
Ushika had a super excellent day. He made the second place with 112,7 km (70 miles). A daily-result which he very rarely achieved during his many multi-day races in the last 21 years. That gave him so much joy that he asked me at midnight, at the end of the final lap, to buy tomorrow a huge flower bouquet for Sri Chinmoy’s statue in The Heart of Joy Café.
Milan did even better than yesterday. He made third place with 100,1 km. He was very happy about this achievement! What a feat, after so many days of walking.
Nirbhasa was once more forced to walk the entire day, because of his fatigue. He walked 80,3 km, did little jogging and hopes he can run again tomorrow.
Ananda-Lahari walked for 73,0 km. He likes the cool autumn weather, unfortunately he was not able to run.
Our team got a very nice letter from a kindergarten teacher who wanted to thank us for improving the feeling in the park.
Priyavadin
Stats
Andrea Marcato- 4600km- 40:07:17:43; 2900mi- 40:17:46:42
This was Day 41. In 3100 Mile race-history, only one man has ever finished 3100 miles on this day. Recall 2015- Ashprihanal Aalto, Finland, in a field of 10 men and 2 women, ran and finished the race in 40 days+09:06:21. He averaged 76.776 miles / 123.559km per day. It was his 13th 3100 Mile Race. He broke the previous record, set by German Icon and ultra-runner extraordinaire-Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk- by 23 hours 10 minutes. He pulled 7 of the 8 finishers to personal bests. Ashprihanal had a dream, believed in the dream, worked to get himself ready, and just ran and ran until he was finished. He said it was like a meditation. On Monday, in just three days, another runner will finish the 3100 Mile Race. He also has had a dream, and in amazing style, will reach this goal, in his first attempt. Andrea Marcato knew he had to put the time in, doing training, getting the mind to believe in transcendence language. Meditating on peace and tranquillity. He is now less than 200 miles from his Goal. Keep him in your thoughts, folks, as another star is burning bright in the ultra marathon world.
It was inevitable, but Ushika Muckenhumer passed Nirbhasa Magee for second place overall. Nirbhasa has had extreme fatigue issues since the middle of the race, and combined with Ushika’s surge in mileage and energy, the elder runner slipped past the younger man today. We all wish both men good luck, as well as the other two chaps who will finish the race without fanfare. Milan Javornicky, ran his best day since Day 1 again. Some say that to get to the starting line of this event is much harder than actually running it. It is all in the journey. Keep dreaming the Dream!
The runners were blessed by another beautiful golden autumn day.
Sunlight shone and blue skies beemed - how different from the rainy days just one week ago.
Andrea had a rough morning caused by lack of sleep during the night. He recovered well during the day and regained his usual speed. At night shortly before midnight he made a very deep spiritual discovery. After the Race, he might tell it.
Fighting all sorts of problems he again won the day with another fantastic 114,8 km. It was a miracle for him.
With all things going well he should finish this coming Monday around 9 pm.
Ushika bravely soldiered on today. He looks every bit the running warrior, his face full of perseverance and determination. Being the local hero, he has many friends and supporters visiting him every day. He definitely has the home turf advantage. He had an excellent day and made the second best with 106,4 km.
Milan is fully back! He enjoyed another strong day of running, as his shin splint injury is almost entirely over. He told us he is 95% pain-free, a great improvement for him and an even greater relief. He made third place with 99,1 km. Well done Milan!
Nirbhasa was forced to walk the entire day, as his body suffered from deep-seated fatigue. He had to learn the hard lessons of surrender and non-expectation. He still has a comfortable cushion of miles, so there is every chance for him to finish the race in time. He went home at 10 pm to get a good night sleep. Luckily Thomas our Race Doctor could not diagnose anything more serious than deep exhaustion. Nirbhasa walked 64,7 km today.
Ananda-Lahari is still waiting for the call to run. He sees it also as a surrender lesson. He apologised for not running.
In a joking way we excused in return for dragging him in into this. He walked for 75,1 km.
Abhinabha and Priyavadin
Stats
Andrea Marcato- 4500km- 39:09:58:08; 2800 miles- 39:10:50:25
Ushika Muckenhumer- 2400 miles- 39:00:50:20
Ananda-Lahari Zuscin- 2200 miles- 39:12:55:40
Forty days have passed, and the Frequent Five are still moving. Milan had his best day since Day 2, or before electric cars were invented. For the last five days, Ananda-Lahari has walked an average of 72 laps per day- none backwards. Nirbhasa, who has severe weakness, still somehow did 40 miles, without thinking about particle physics. Ushika had his best day since Day 1, when his workers at his music shop were cheering him on with violins and cellos worth tens of thousands of Euros- in the rain. And Andrea Marcato reached 114.8 kms/ 71.33 miles again today, giving him only 271.13 miles/ 436.34 kms/ or 419 laps of the course to go to finish 3100 miles. He could finish as early as 19:00 hours Salzburg time on Monday next- and that is no joke!!
Great weather today, it was sunny the whole day. The evening and the night were not that cold as yesterday.
The fourth day in a row made for running well. In Abhinabhas words:
“It was a real Indian summer day with temperatures reaching 20 Celsius.
All the runners enjoyed the beautiful golden sunlight.” The helpers' highlight was playing Frisbee this afternoon.
Nirbhasa tried to get back some strength with walking and also taking little longer breaks. He closed at midnight with 83,4 km.
Andrea had difficulties in the morning. Ran better and better during the day and had a Grande finale at midnight with three 7 min laps. That brought him today’s victory and one lap more than yesterday, 116,8 km.
Abhinabha’s analysis: “Andrea looks incredibly fresh, like he just started running today. He keeps his relentless pace from morning to evening. His voice also does not betray any sign of fatigue. “
Ushika had also a rough morning but like Andrea he made a great day out of it reaching 101,2 km, which brought him again second place.
Ananda Lahari was walking again and covered 75,1 km. As always he was soulful and cheerful.
Milan is back! He was jogging in a very good mood and reached 94,9 km. Third place for the day.
Priyavadin
Stats
Andrea Marcato- 2700 miles- 38:03:22:30 NR, PB, Fifth fastest all-time
Nirbhasa Magee-2400 miles- 38:04:14:50
Ushika Muckenhumer- 3800km- 38:08:36:35
Milan Javornicky- 2000 miles- 38:14:11:08
Andrea’s 2700-mile time has meaning. In the history of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team and its exploits into multi-day running races, the 2700 Mile Race was the one-year precedent of the 3100 Mile Race. Georgs Jermolajevs of Latvia set the world best for 2700 miles in 1996, reaching the historic distance in 40days+11:49:07 (63.504miles/ 102.199km) per day. Sri Chinmoy upped the goal the following year to 3100 miles.
As the years went by and the 3100 Mile Race attracted more great runners from around the world, the extended goal was pushed to almost untouchable realms of speed. The current record for the 2700-mile split is held by Ashprihanal Aalto, set in the 2015 record year in New York- 35 days+03:34:45- an average of 76.815 mi / 123.622 km per day.
We shall see if Andrea can hold his form for about five more full days in order to reach the 3100-Mile goal. In the meantime, good luck to all five of the runners, for they are placing themselves into history collectively as well as individually. The body, when energized with inspiration and aspiration, can perform amazing feats. All 48 finishers of the 3100 in the world and many others who have run for many days of high mileage over weeks and months, from county borders to nation borders, or on a loop of 1.04366km(Salzburg) or 883.2079 meters (New York) can attest to the hope of forward movement each day, unbroken by doubt, untouched by lethargy.
Go Fab Five!
The top five at 2700 miles in event history now:
Ashprihanal Aalto, Finland 2700 mi- 35:03:34:45
Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk, Germany 2700 mi- 35:14:01:21
Good weather today as it was sunny the whole day, cool in the evening and cold at night. Super weather means good running, three days in a row. At night our wonderful doctor and chiropractor Rahul treated 4 of the 5 runners and quite a few of the helpers! Helpers need help sometimes!
4 of the 5 Musketeers ran until midnight. Only Nirbhasa went home early. He reached 96 km.
Andrea was inspired to push on and brought it up to 114,8 km. It was another daily victory for him. If one would look only at the numbers one might think it easy for Andrea. But it is anything else but that. Andrea is literally fighting for every second. He finished his day at 11:56 pm and was not happy, because he lost 4 minutes. A nice man in Vienna is watching the Race every day online and asked a friend in Salzburg to visit Andrea and get an autograph from him. And so he did. It gave Andrea so much joy.
Ushika reached 102,2 km and was super happy with his result. Which brought him second place for the day.
Ananda Lahari was walking again and covered 74,1 km. He is always happy and full of joy.
Milan was again jogging, reaching 86,6 km. He is ready for more!
Priyavadin
Ushika Muckenhumer- 3700km- 37:07:27:04
Five and a half weeks have passed, and the intrepid five have dug deep to see what they have, and for two more weeks, four runners will continue to muster the energy to run and run. Andrea, the lucky one, has only six more days of pressure and intensity and determination to glide his way to an unprecedented Goal, which he has dreamed about for several years. So far, his body has held up. But his feet are pretty beat up, I am told. His focus is still excellent, so we all hope he can get it done by Monday evening next week. 415.1 miles / 668.04 km remain. Keep smiling, Andrea, just like Ananda-Lahari and Milan are doing, still going, still learning, still smiling. Nirbhasa and Ushika will finish just before or on the last day.
Today had good weather, sun for a while, cold in the evening and at night. Perfect for running happened for the second day in a row. All five musketeers ran until midnight.
Andrea was inspired to push in the evening and brought it up to 115,8 km. He won the day, is very strong and looks amazing. In the morning he had a problem with a toenail. I agreed to help him at approximately 7 pm. He did not say a word about this nail problem. So far problems just come to go for Andrea.
Ushika ran 104,3 km for the day, getting Second place, once more.
Nirbhasa, feeling still under the weather, reached 100,1 km. Fantastico! He seems to accept the situation as it is. He still has a very weak voice.
Milan did well. In the evening he had to walk because his shin splint started to bother him again. He covered 86,6 km, more than the last few days.
Ananda Lahari was walking again and covered 76,1 km. He expects a good day tomorrow. He is an idol, showing how happy a great runner like him can be even when he is not able to run.
Priyavadin
Stats
Andrea Marcato- 4200km- 36:17:11:14
Nirbhasa Magee- 2300 miles- 36:09:36:25
Ushika Muckenhumer- 3600km- 36:08:47:00
Milan Javornicky- 3000km- 36:06:08:07
Andrea has just a week to go–seven full days- to get to his goal of goals. 3100 miles is no longer a dream or a ‘maybe’ project, or a ‘next year’ meme- it is a now project. He has smashed every Italian national record from 1500km and 1000 miles, including each and every day total past 14 days or more. 26 out of 37 days on the road, he has reached 70 miles or more. Elite running. Andrea also has an underlying depth and confidence in his physical and mental attributes, plus his wondrous motor and focus on each breath and step. He could probably excel in several sports. Of course, he is a long-distance swimmer, and I am told the English Channel may be in his future. Keep it going, Andrea, the Goal is closing in on you!
The other lads are also doing well, and three finishers are firmly in the picture. The percentage history of finishers in the 3100 Mile Race is at 62.1 %. Forty men and eight women have reached 3100 miles since 1997 on a certified course.
The most finishes by one runner is 15 for the men by Ashprihanal Aalto of Finland, and 13 for the ladies by Suprabha Beckjord of USA. Those totals stagger the mind, but open the heart to appreciation and ultimately- Joy.
Good weather today, with no rain, partly sunny, but cold in the evening and night. Great weather for running.
Andrea was inspired to push and brought it up to 118,9 km /73,8 miles for the day. On the way he celebrated 4000 km with a quick photo posing on the scoreboard. Another national record for Andrea.
Ushika had another blessingful day. He had a nice neighbouring family visiting. Both parents and their two small kids became friends of Ushika. A few days ago the kids painted for Ushika two drawings. Today they brought drawings for the other four runners. All the drawings have places on the course so the runners can look at them every lap. As always, Ushika ran until midnight and closed the day with 105,4 km. Good for second place.
A not yet fully recovered Nirbhasa reached 102,2 km at midnight. He quickly took his cheese sandwich and was driven home.
Milan was very cheerful when he stopped at midnight with 82,4 km in his pocket. In the morning he suffered from a headache. Luckily it went away during the day. He went home with Andrea in the same car. The two gentlemen were in a joking mood.
Ananda Lahari was walking again and covered 76,1 km until midnight. He said he still feels very peaceful. Sometimes in his few breaks he sets the alarm on 20 min and after 10 min he wakes already up and goes out to start running (walking) again.
It might be one of the most important focus points for every ultra runner, to possibly never get stressed and never to loose ones Inner Peace.
It should become warmer every day for the next three days……
Priyavadin
Stats
Andrea Marcato- 4000km-35:04:10:00- national record, previous rec-
Andrea is now ranked sixth fastest to 4000km, all-time, with todays’s great milestone.
He is easily on pace to finish 3100 miles on October 26, a week from Monday, since he has 551 miles/ 886.75km to negotiate. He has adapted to the rigors of super-long multiday races in seemingly record fashion, as if he finishes on Day 44, he will break the first-timer record held by Sarvagata Ukrainskii in 2011, when he reached the line in 44 days+13:38:52; albeit after losing a day to a terrible heat-wave of four days straight 100+ºF /42-44C as the event was closed for 24 hours, whilst time still ticked away.
Ushika seems to be gaining a bit on Nirbhasa, as he has closed a gap of 76 miles to 41 miles since Day 20. That is still a formidable gap, but Ushika does not even notice most likely- he will just run to midnight, grateful for every step, regardless the weather. The other two warriors carry on, learning and growing, and happy just to breathe and run, inside and out. Sixteen days remain, and the Goal beckons us all. Keep smiling and Stay safe everybody.
