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Mittleman Overtakes Bauer in Record 1000 Mile (1986)

By Rupantar LaRusso author bio »
1 June

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.

Originally appeared in the July-August 1986 issue of UltraRunning. Reprinted by permission from Publisher, John Medinger

BauerMittleman.jpgThe Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team created a long ultra that had everything: a world record lowered by 16 hours; a level of competition that was exciting at every level; and a support effort that no other organization in the world could have provided for 15 days of running in the middle of New York City. The race opened in a light drizzle with the cherry trees in a full bloom, and continued through a time change and a change of season as the trees were green by the race's end.

Photo:Only a few miles separated  Bauer (l) and Mittleman (r) during the first 7 days of the 1986 Sri Chinmoy 1,000 Mile Road Race.

The course was the familiar one-mile loop out-and-back; certified). It was modified slightly from the inaugural 1,000 mile in 1985 so that the course could be completely barricaded to separate the thousands of park users from the 13 competitors. The new arrangement worked like a dream. Although two of the three weekends had the kind of weather that brings thousands into New York City  parks,  the Sri Chinmoy marshals not only kept the course open at all times, but practiced an infectious courtesy and respect for the onlookers that tames the difficult New York public. The atmosphere surrounding the event was a large part of the experience. It was impossible to become grumpy or discouraged for any length of time. At every corner of the course, at every hour, day or night, there was always a friendly and encouraging word. It was a wonderful antidote to the "bad patches" that inevitably overtake us on every long runs. The Sri Chinmoy support did not eliminate what is probably a very sensible reaction of the body, but they could bring one out of a bad patch in record time.


Scoreboard.jpgPhysical therapy, massage, kinesiology, and blister treatment were available in warm medical areas. I was never necessary to go more than a few steps for any needed support, always given with encouragement and great understanding of the runner's needs.

Photo: Members of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team man the scoreboard at night during the race.

A better competition could not have been organized. Siegfried Bauer was ready not only to defend his outstanding world record, but also to lower it by all he could. Don Choi meant to defend his American record and his win of 1985. Stu Mittleman, always fit and ready to compete at the highest level, had outdone himself with high mileage during the previous months. The English contingent of Alan Fairbrother and Dan Coffey would be tough competitors, and Trishul Cherns would be ready to move on the leaders by spending a lot of time on the course.


The first few hours saw Don Choi take off like a shot; he was determined to lead for as long as possible. Bauer, Fairbrother, and Mittleman went out fast too, but after 10 miles a log of sensible backing-off occurred. Perhaps the figure "10" was a sobering reminder of the number of zeros to be added to a mile at a time.

By the end of the first day Bauer led with 120 miles; Mittleman had 116 and Choi 111.

The second 24 hours was the second most interesting day of the race. Bauer with 95 miles and 215 for 48 hours, served notice that he was seriously after his mark of 12 1/2 days. Choi and Fairbrother stayed close at 188 and 185 miles for 48 hours. Mittleman, with no signs of distress and running steadily, had only the sixth-best second day at 66 miles, and dropped to fourth place.

On day three Fairbrother began having problems with shin inflammation and slowly dropped from the leaders. He tried to stick with it, running 4 consecutive 65-mile days followed by 75 and 80, but it all caught up with him on day ten. He ended up with a British best of 13 days and 22:48:08.

The fifth day was the beginning of the finest ultramarathon by an American since George Littlewood in 1888. Stu Mittleman's charge from 4th place to 2nd with 88 miles wasn't all that exciting at the time. Most of us were far more conscious of Bauer's 25-mile lead and his progress toward a new world record. Yet Stu's day was the first of the best six-day performance of the race.

At the end of the first six days Bauer led Stu 513 to 503. but Stu's 5th through 10th days added up to 530 miles. Looked at another way, Stu warmed up with 327 in the first four days and then turned a 530-mile six-day. At the end of that stint he was 38 miles in the lead. He ended up a full day ahead after 1,000 miles, lowering Bauer's record by 16 hours.

Stu did it by establishing a marvelous pattern of steady running. He walked occasionally, rarely for as long as an hour, and he wasted virtually no time. He was down for rests of 4 hours at about the same time each night. During the other 20 hours he was nearly always making forward progress, usually in excellent running form.


It is a tribute to Bauer's great competitiveness that he was not finished racing when passed by Stu in the last hours of day 7. Though Stu's lead was built to the 30-mile range through the 8th night, Siggy ran steadily on, staying within 30-odd miles through the 8th, 9th and 10th days. The 9th and 10th days saw both men with 80+ mileage, a wonderful display as they approached 800 miles of running. During this period it seemed that Siggy was working harder and that Stu was more worried. But both hammered out mile after mile until the 11th night when Stu's relentless pace finally sat Bauer down for a short extra meal in the middle of the night. Just before, Stu had been forced to walk for most of several hours, but he was able to walk at 15-17 minute page compared to Bauer's 16 minute running pace. Bauer stayed in the chase, but after a final effort to close the gap he took an afternoon off, and the race was finally over.


Mittleman and Bauer have made 80 and 90 miles a day commonplace, and they are probably the forerunners to a 10x100 mile performance.

Trishul Cherns, whose lack of sleep caught up with him last year, made adjustments, rationing sleep perfectly. He slept about 2 hours out of every 12, and finished two days sooner than in '85. Trishul and Colin Dixon of England are the world masters in the art of getting maximum performance from minimum rest. Their approach forces other runners to reevaluate what they think is the minimum amount of rest they must have.

DanCoffey.jpgDan Coffey had crashed in the David Niven 1,000 mile at Gateshead, England, last year, and he too rationed sleep successfully to finish well under the 15 day limit.

Photo: Dan Coffey enjoys a short rest during the race.

The five runners who finished were special, and they were placed atop the wonderful flower-bedecked float on which we all rode during the extraordinary closing ceremonies. But there were many noteworthy  stories among the other entrants. Joe Michaels, who had double bypass heart surgery in 1980, covered twice his previous longest distance, completing 624 miles. His efforts continue to provide incentive for heart patients to achieve fitness and overcome their "disability." Sulochana Kallai, who started the race with modest goal of maintaining 35 miles a day, sand and smiled her way around the course for 12 days before dropping below that figure. Willie Rios, 69, made 806 miles. His performance will give statistician Andy Milroy a field day, as Willy established world age bests for any number of mile and kilometer marks.

The festival that was the awards ceremony included a ride around the course on a float as each competitor was honored by his or her own song composed by Sri Chinmoy and sung joyfully by his several hundred disciples gathered at the race. There were lots of gifts and food for everyone, even for the runners' mothers as the race ended on Mother's Day. The celebrations capped a moving experience for all of us who had enjoyed this special 15 days.

Marvin Skagerberg (700 mi)

Race stories

The historic 1000 Mile duel between Stu Mittleman and Siegfreid Bauer (1986)

By Nirbhasa Magee author bio »
11 May

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.

In our 1986 1000 Mile Race, Stu Mittleman set a world record after battling legendary ultrarunner Siegfied Bauer for 12 days. This account came from Martin Skagerberg, who completed 700 miles during the race.

(From the 1986 July-August issue of UltraRunning.  Reproduced by permission from the Publisher, John Medinger. Article written by Marvin Skagerberg)

BauerMittleman.jpg

Photo:only a few miles separated  Bauer (l) and Mittleman (r) during the first 7 days of the 1986 Sri Chinmoy 1,000 Mile Road Race.

"The Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team created a long ultra that had everything: a world record lowered by 16 hours; a level of competition that was exciting at every level; and a support effort that no other organization in the world could have provided for 15 days of running in the middle of New York City. The race opened in a light drizzle with the cherry trees in full bloom, and continued through a time change and a change of season as the trees were green by the race's end.

The course was the familiar one-mile loop out-and-back; certified. It was modified slightly from the inaugural 1,000 mile in 1985 so that the course could be completely barricaded to separate the thousands of park users from the 13 competitors. The new arrangement worked like a dream. Although two of the three weekends had the kind of weather that brings thousands into New York City  parks,  the Sri Chinmoy marshals not only kept the course open at all times, but practiced an infectious courtesy and respect for the onlookers that tames the difficult New York public. The atmosphere surrounding the event was a large part of the experience. It was impossible to become grumpy or discouraged for any length of time. At every corner of the course, at every hour, day or night, there was always a friendly and encouraging word. It was a wonderful antidote to the "bad patches" that inevitably overtake us on every long run. The Sri Chinmoy (Marathon Team) support did not eliminate what is probably a very sensible reaction of the body, but they could bring one out of a bad patch in record time.


Scoreboard.jpg

Photo: Members of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team man the scoreboard at night during the race.

Physical therapy, massage, kinesiology, and blister treatment were available in warm medical areas. I was never necessary to go more than a few steps for any needed support, always given with encouragement and great understanding of the runner's needs.

A better competition could not have been organized. Siegfried Bauer was ready not only to defend his outstanding world record, but also to lower it by all he could. Don Choi meant to defend his American record and his win of 1985. Stu Mittleman, always fit and ready to compete at the highest level, had outdone himself with high mileage during the previous months. The English contingent of Alan Fairbrother and Dan Coffey would be tough competitors, and Trishul Cherns would be ready to move on the leaders by spending a lot of time on the course.

The first few hours saw Don Choi take off like a shot; he was determined to lead for as long as possible. Bauer, Fairbrother, and Mittleman went out fast too, but after 10 miles a lot of sensible backing-off occurred. Perhaps the figure "10" was a sobering reminder of the number of zeros to be added to a mile at a time.

By the end of the first day Bauer led with 120 miles; Mittleman had 116 and Choi 111.

The second 24 hours was the second most interesting day of the race. Bauer with 95 miles and 215 for 48 hours, served notice that he was seriously after his mark of 12 1/2 days. Choi and Fairbrother stayed close at 188 and 185 miles for 48 hours. Mittleman, with no signs of distress and running steadily, had only the sixth-best second day at 66 miles, and dropped to fourth place.

On day three Fairbrother began having problems with shin inflammation and slowly dropped from the leaders. He tried to stick with it, running 4 consecutive 65-mile days followed by 75 and 80, but it all caught up with him on day ten. He ended up with a British best of 13 days and 22:48:08.

The fifth day was the beginning of the finest ultramarathon by an American since George Littlewood in 1888. Stu Mittleman's charge from 4th place to 2nd with 88 miles wasn't all that exciting at the time. Most of us were far more conscious of Bauer's 25-mile lead and his progress toward a new world record. Yet Stu's day was the first of the best six-day performance of the race.

At the end of the first six days Bauer led Stu 513 to 503, but Stu's 5th through 10th days added up to 530 miles. Looked at another way, Stu warmed up with 327 in the first four days and then turned a 530-mile six-day. At the end of that stint he was 38 miles in the lead. He ended up a full day ahead after 1,000 miles, lowering Bauer's record by 16 hours.

Stu did it by establishing a marvelous pattern of steady running. He walked occasionally, rarely for as long as an hour, and he wasted virtually no time. He was down for rests of 4 hours at about the same time each night. During the other 20 hours he was nearly always making forward progress, usually in excellent running form.

It is a tribute to Bauer's great competitiveness that he was not finished racing when passed by Stu in the last hours of day 7. Though Stu's lead was built to the 30-mile range through the 8th night, Siggy ran steadily on, staying within 30-odd miles through the 8th, 9th and 10th days. The 9th and 10th days saw both men with 80+ mileage, a wonderful display as they approached 800 miles of running. During this period it seemed that Siggy was working harder and that Stu was more worried. But both hammered out mile after mile until the 11th night when Stu's relentless pace finally sat Bauer down for a short extra meal in the middle of the night. Just before, Stu had been forced to walk for most of several hours, but he was able to walk at a 15-17 minute pace compared to Bauer's 16 minute running pace. Bauer stayed in the chase, but after a final effort to close the gap he took an afternoon off, and the race was finally over.

Mittleman and Bauer have made 80 and 90 miles a day commonplace, and they are probably the forerunners to a 10x100 mile performance.

Trishul Cherns, whose lack of sleep caught up with him last year, made adjustments, rationing sleep perfectly. He slept about 2 hours out of every 12, and finished two days sooner than in '85. Trishul and Colin Dixon of England are the world masters in the art of getting maximum performance from minimum rest. Their approach forces other runners to reevaluate what they think is the minimum amount of rest they must have.

DanCoffey.jpg

Photo: Dan Coffey enjoys a short rest during the race.

Dan Coffey had crashed in the David Niven 1,000 mile at Gateshead, England, last year, and he too rationed sleep successfully to finish well under the 15 day limit.

The five runners who finished were special, and they were placed atop the wonderful flower-bedecked float on which we all rode during the extraordinary closing ceremonies. But there were many noteworthy  stories among the other entrants. Joe Michaels, who had double bypass heart surgery in 1980, covered twice his previous longest distance, completing 624 miles. His efforts continue to provide incentive for heart patients to achieve fitness and overcome their "disability." Sulochana Kallai, who started the race with the modest goal of maintaining 35 miles a day, ran and smiled her way around the course for 12 days before dropping below that figure. Willie Rios, 69, made 806 miles. His performance will give statistician Andy Milroy a field day, as Willy established world age bests for any number of mile and kilometer marks.

The festival that was the awards ceremony included a ride around the course on a float as each competitor was honored by his or her own song composed by Sri Chinmoy and sung joyfully by his several hundred disciples gathered at the race. There were lots of gifts and food for everyone, even for the runners' mothers as the race ended on Mother's Day. The celebrations capped a moving experience for all of us who had enjoyed this special 15 days.

- Marvin Skagerberg (700 mi)

Books you might find interesting

Guru Marathon Sri Chinmoy
A life and teachings on meditation and athletics
more »
Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team history

America's First World Ultra Title Set in 1,000 Mile Race

By Rupantar LaRusso author bio »
11 May

About the author:

Rupantar has been the race director of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team since 1985, having been asked by Sri Chinmoy to serve in that capacity. As well as working on the big races the US Marathon Team organise each year - the 3100 Mile Race and the Six and 10 Day Race - he also spends a considerable amount of time archiving the Marathon Team's 40 year history on this website.

America's first world ultra title of the century and three national records were won at the second annual Sri Chinmoy 1,000 Mile World Championship, held April 26 - May 11 in Queens, NY.

BauerMittleman_0.jpgShattering the previous world mark by 16 hours, New York's Stu Mittleman, 34, bested former record holder Siegfried Bauer of New Zealand, who finished runnerup. Mittleman ran the distance in 11 days 20:37. Bauer, age 44, ran ten hours over his 1983 record, clocking 12 hours, 22 minutes and 36 seconds.

Photo: Bauer (l) and Mittleman (r) raced neck and neck during most of the 1986 Sri Chinmoy 1,000 Mile Race.

Mittleman is the first American to secure a world ultra-distance record since 1896, when George Littlewood established the world 6-day record. Praising Mittleman's achievement, Race Director Sri Chinmoy told the large finish-line crowd: "Now America has the record for the shortest distance - 100 meters - and the longest distance - 1,000 miles. America is in full command!"

Speaking of his victory, Mittleman said that more than in a shorter ultra race, this was an event in which the support team makes the difference. Mittleman offered high praises to Bauer, who held the lead through day 6 of the event. He could not have achieved his victory, Mittleman said, had it not been for the unrelenting pace set by the great runner, and the emotional support of the other runners during the race's inevitable "down periods." "This was not the accomplishment of one individual's will," Mittleman observed. "It is the collective accomplishment of my handlers, my friends, the Sri Chinmoy people and the runners who helped me."

Chernsfinishes.jpgCanadian Trishul Cherns, 29, lowered his own national record by more than two days, running 13+7:51 to finish third over Britain's Alan Fairbrother, 49, and Dan Coffey, 54. Both Englishmen set new national marks; Fairbrother first with 13+22:49, Coffey following with 14+10:45.

Photo: Trishul Cherns becomes only the second two time finisher of 1,000 miles.

The five runners completing the distance make this the largest field ever to finish a 1,000 mile race. The winners were part of an elite group of 13 ultra distance runners who began the race April 26 on a one-mile looped course in Flushing Meadows Park, Queens. Running and walking up to 21 hours a day, the athletes attempted to cover the equivalent of over 39 marathons by race's close 15 days later, on May 11th at 1pm. Only two of the original 13 competitors dropped out.

MittlemanSriChinmoy.jpg

Photo: Sri Chinmoy (r) congratulates Stu Mittleman (l), winner and world record holder at the 1986 Sri Chinmoy 1,000 Mile Race.

The sole female competitor at race's close was Sulochana Kallai, a 56 year old Saks Fifth Avenue beauty consultant who logged 595 miles. Sixty-nine year old Willie Rios, the oldest contestant, ran 751 miles. Joe Michaels, former heart attack patient and now president of Cardiac Runners Assoc., ran 569 miles.

This was the fifth 1,000 mile race held in modern racing history. Out of several dozen starters, there are now nine ultra athletes who have completed this distance. Bauer and Cherns are the only athletes who have completed the distance more than once...

 

The Results with Daily Mileage of the Runners
 

results.jpg

In the Media

1000 Mile Race 1986 - press release

By Nirbhasa Magee author bio »
29 April

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.

"1000 Mile Race Sees Title Battle - Event Goes Back-To-Back with 24 Hour Race

Start1000.jpg

New Zealander Siggy Bauer, 44, the first man to conquer 1,000 miles, travels halfway around the world to defend his title. His time for the event is 12 days, 36 hours and 20 minutes. Pitted against the world record holder is reigning American champion Don Choi, winner of last year's event; and Trishul Cherns, the Canadian 1,000 mile champion. An unknown factor is Stu Mittleman, 1985 Ultrarunner of the Year and holder of the American 100 mile road and 6-day records.

Going back to back with the 1,000 mile event is the 7th annual Sri Chinmoy 24-Hour Road Race, to be held on the same course one day earlier. Last year's race saw Yiannis Kouros set a world record of 178 miles, despite the fury of Hurricane Gloria. Among this year's field of 40 runners is Don Jewell, who set a North American record in the 1984 event; and 1983 winner Luis Rios. The 24 hour event runs 8am to 8am, April 25 - 26.

There is no prize money for either race. They are being run as pure amateur events, for the love of the sport itself.

img210.jpg

Photo: pioneer ultra runner and race director Don Choi (l) grabs a snack at the 1986 Sri Chinmoy 1,000 Mile Road Race.

The 1,000 mile contenders are well known to area runners. In 1983 Bauer won the NYRRC 6 day race. Choi, a San Francisco postman, pioneered the re-emergence of American multi-day running, organizing then running in and winning the first 48 hour and 6 day races. Cherns, a flower store manager, holds every Canadian multi-day record from 48 hours to 1,000 miles. Mittleman, a native New Yorker, is one of America's most popular and well-known multi-day runners.

 JoeMichaels.jpg

Joe Michaels, Cardiac Runners founder. Photo: Arthur L. Field

The deep and colorful field of multi-day veterans also includes Marvin Skagerberg, who last year raced Englishman Malcolm Campbell 4,000 miles across America; and 69 year old Willie Rios, holder of America senior ultra records from 24 hours to 6 days. Two runners travel from Britain: Alan Fairbrother, a veteran 6-day runner and record holder; and Dan Coffey, 54, holder of world ultra  records for age 50 and over. Joe Michaels, the "Cardiac Runner" who suffered five heart attacks before recuperating by starting to jog, will take part as well. He is the founder and president of Cardiac Runners Inc. The one woman accepted thus far is Francoise Lamothe, 62, from France. She holds numerous world ultra records. (Editor's note: although Francoise Lamothe was unable to attend the race, two other women were later accepted, Kim Cavanagh and Sulochana Kallai).

There is a 15-day cut off for the race.

Pivoting around the competitors, in a "Runners' Village" constructed on the race site, over 100 support team members provide a 24-hour kaleidoscope of action. It is a carnival of sights and sounds along the one-mile loop that skirts the Carousel and Children's Zoo. Cooks serve up flapjacks and stroganoff, midnight soup and banana smoothies. And all the while, the counting crew meticulously logs the passing miles."

Inspiration

The History of the 1,000 Mile Race - from 1758 to 1986

By Rupantar LaRusso author bio »
1 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.

Milroy, Andy. "The History of the 1,000 Mile Race." 1989. Ultrarunning. Printed with permission from the publisher.

"It is in the nature of the ultra marathoner runner to seek new challenges. In recent years the ambition of many runners became to tackle a six-day race. Veterans of such races have now moved on to face perhaps the ultimate standard event: the 1,000 mile race. This event has a pedigree stretching back at least two hundred years, making the six day race look a more upstart in comparison.

The earliest 1,000 miler that I have discovered was put on in Birmingham, England, in the depths of the winter of 1758. The local pedestrian or professional walker, George Guest, wagered that he could cover 1,000 miles in 28 days. He finished his walk in February, 1758, with five hours to spare, covering six miles in the last hour.

Fifty years later, in the heyday of pedestrianism in the time of the Napoleonic Wars, such 1,000 mile matches were commonplace. Pedestrians like Stokes, Jones, Eaton, Crisp, and Wilson specialized in doing 1,000 miles in 20 days. However, it was the last two, Daniel Crisp and George Wilson, who were to improve on the average of 50 miles a day.

George Wilson, in 1815, was involved in one of the most controversial incidents in sport in the early nineteenth century. Whilst in the middle of one of his 20 day/1,000 mile wagers at Blackhearth, he was stopped by the police and charged with causing a public disturbance. He lost the bet and the subsequent court case. In debtor’s prison, Wilson, a pedestrian to the last, walked 50 miles in 12 hours in a small 11 yard by 8 yard area, making 9.026 turns.

This was not the end of Wilson’s 1,000 mile efforts. In November, 1816, he covered the distance in 17 days, 23 hours, 19 minutes, 10 seconds at Hull. The following year Daniel Crisp walked 1,134 miles in 21 days on the Uxbridge road, drawing an audience of some 10,000 people. And a year later on the same road, he completed 1,037 miles in 16 days, 23 hours, and 8 minutes, despite floods. The Thames River overflowed its banks onto the road during his walk, and five times he had to wade through a quarter of a mile of water.

Crisp’s mark stood for some sixty years until the American Edward Payton Weston came to Britain. Weston is well known as the pioneer of the six day race, but he undertook a variety of wagers in his various trips to Britain. As well as five day matches, 1,500 mile and 5,000 mile walks, he also agreed to walk 1,000 miles in 400 consecutive hours. This feat took place at the Northumberland Cricket Ground, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, in 1877, and was competed in 16 days, 15 hours, 41 minutes. Weston didn’t walk on the two intervening Sundays and altogether took 150 hours, 38 ½ minutes rest.

The nineteenth century was also renowned for another type of athletic contest, known as the Barclay Match. The reason for the title is that this type of endurance feat was popularized by Captain Robert Barclay. In October, 1808, he made a match with Mr. Wedderburn Webster for one thousand guineas to walk 1,000 miles in 1,000 consecutive hours. This may not seem a very arduous undertaking, but there was one condition that made it very difficult – Barclay had to walk one mile in each and every hour. Several famous pedestrians had attempted this exploit only to be defeated not only by the distance and the exertion, but also by the lack of sleep and rest which forced them to retire with swollen legs and loss of weight.

Captain Barclay started the walk on June 1, 1809, on Newmarket Heath. The first eleven or twelve days went without problems, but he began to get pains in his legs on the thirteenth day, slight at first but gradually worsening. These pains were augmented on the twenty-third day by toothache and by the twenty-sixth day he was very ill and stiff. He found great difficulty in walking, and complained much about the pain. By the thirty-second day he could rise after resting only with help, and he needed so much time to complete the walk he had little opportunity to rest. Two days later he could not move without crying out and ‘walked in a shuffling manner’. By the thirty-fifth day such was his fatigue and agony that it was thought it was probably impossible for him to continue. ‘The spasmodic affections in his legs were particularly distressing.’

By the forth-first day (1,000 hours equals 41 days and 16 hours) it was clear that he couldn’t continue much longer. Fortunately his ordeal was to end the following day. A huge crowd was at the finish to see him successfully complete the one-thousandth mile in the one-thousandth hour. The crowd was so large that it was necessary to rope off the ground, and several pugilists who had been supported by Barclay in their fights assisted to keep off roughs. His first mile had taken him 12 minutes, his last took 22. He lost over 35 pounds in weight, but won 16,000 pounds in wagers (which would be getting on for a quarter of a million in today’s currency). After the finish he had a bath, and then slept for 17 hours, after which he got up in perfect health, free from pain, and went for a long walk about Newmarket including four miles on the race course.

Barclay’s feat was copied by many pedestrians in the later years of the nineteenth century. Richard Manks walked one mile every half hour for one thousand miles. Peter van Ness did half a mile every half an hour for two thousand successive half hours, and William Gale did one and a half miles every hour for one thousand successive hours.

Bauer and Mittleman.jpgThe record for the straight-forward 1,000 miles remained with
 

Edward Weston’s 16 days, 15 hours for the better part of a century, although several claims to have bettered it were made. Then in 1975 a unique race was set up in South Africa, a 1,000 mile race from Pretoria to Cape Town. Siegfried Bauer, a Czech who had become a naturalized New Zealander and who specialized in solo multiday journey runs, was invited. He faced John Ball, a runner with a similar athletic background. These two men battled it out all the way to the finish. By the end of the fifth day Ball led the New Zealander by about three and a half hours, but by the seventh day Bauer had taken the lead with a mere 340 miles to go. He kept the lead to the finish, despite a late race surge from the South African. Both men finished over three days inside Weston’s mark, with Bauer the new record holder in 12 days, 21 hours, 46 minutes, 30 seconds.

That was the last 1,000 mile race until November 1983, when the small Australian town of Colac entered the business of promoting international multi-day races. Colac is the hometown of Cliff Young, the remarkable 60 year old who, that year, had won the Sydney to Melbourne race in record time. Young had made an attempt on the 1,000 mile best the previous year in a solo run, but had to stop at 500 miles with a back injury.

The 1,000 mile race started from the Parliament steps in Melbourne. Then followed a 92.3 mile run to Colac and thereafter the race was around a 538.06 meter circuit in Memorial Square. The race was a battle between Siegfried Bauer and Tony Rafferty, who also had thousand mile credentials. Rafferty led for the first 600 miles, but was eventually forced to retire. Bauer, the only finisher, set a new world best of 12 days, plus 12:36:20.

start 1000.jpg

In 1985 the Sri Chinmoy Organization put on an open 1,000 mile race on a one mile certified course in Queens, New York. Three men finished, Don Choi in 15 days plus 6:24, closely followed by Trishul Cherns and Emil Laharrague.

The Sri Chinmoy race is an annual one. When held in late April of this year it attracted an experienced field. Bauer lined up for his third 1,000 miler and was the obvious favorite. But he had some tough opposition, including Stu Mittleman who has better marks in ultra events from 100 miles to six days. Choi and Cherns renewed their rivalry, and were joined by British six day veterans Alan Fairbrother and Dan Coffey.

By the end of the first day Bauer had a four mile lead over Mittleman, 120 to 116, and he continued to pour on the pace for the next three days, setting a new road best for 48 hours of 215 miles. After 6 days the New Zealander had a narrow lead over the New Yorker, 513 miles to 503, with Cherns solidly in third. On the seventh day, after an extended battle, Mittleman pulled out a two mile lead, and the following day really put the pressure on. Bauer, hampered by an ankle injury, was unable to respond. From day five to day ten, Mittleman covered 532 miles, the best six day distance so far this year.

Mittleman went on the break Bauer’s mark by 16 hours with a time of 11 days plus 20:36:50. Despite obvious problems, Bauer battled on to finish in 12 days, 22 hours, motivated by the fear of the slowly closing Trishul Cherns, who cut two days off his best with a 13 day, 7 hour  time."

Sri Chinmoy 700, 1000 and 1300 Mile Races

Results 1986

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