Sri Chinmoy (l)  presents 7-Day winner Al Howie with first place award. Howie covered 530 miles.

"Howie Repeats at Seven Day." Ultrarunner, Canada. July 1990.

"The same man won. The same woman won. And the course was the same familiar Flushing Meadow loop beneath the roaring planes of La Guardia Airport In Queens, NY. Al Howie of Lake Cowichan BC covered 530 miles to win the Sri Chinmoy Seven Day Race, May 7-14 for the second straight year. Charlie Eidel, 42, of Gardiner NY was second (for the second year) at 507 miles while Suprabha Schecter of Washington DC was third overall (and first woman), covering exactly 500 miles. In 1989, it was Howie 511, Eidel 486, and Schecter 470. Two Canadians finished third and fourth in the women's field, Mary Anne Trusz of Montreal with 407 miles and Neli Lozej of Ottawa with 402. For Howie, the race was another big victory in his emerging career as a multi-day runner. Last October, he overcame doubts about whether it was possible to run the Sri Chinmoy 1,300-Mile Race - the longest certified race in the world - within its 18-day limit. He managed - in 17:08:25:34. This time out, he overcame another barrier that was new to him. About mid-way through the race he developed serious lower back pain, making it questionable whether he would be able to finish. Not only did he complete the race, he set a new course record for the event. His next big goal is the Sri Chinmoy Ultra-Distance Trio in the fall. the 44-year old Scottish-born runner plans to enter the 1,000-miler this year instead of the 1,300-miler. Meanwhile, the race was also a personal triumph for both Trusz, who ran 373 miles in the same event two years ago, and for Lozej, who was running her first multi-day race. Trusz, 35, said a special bond developed in the woman's field, where she, Lozej, 26 and Essie Garrett, 43, of Denver CO (who ran 412 miles) finished within 10 miles of each other. 'We all really tried to do our best but there was no sense of competition.' Lozej, who completed the Marathon des Sables 200k with Trusz in March, struggled with burnout during the middle of the race and thought her goal of 400 miles had slipped from reach. But she rallied, covering 77 miles on the final day. 'She just ran and ran and ran. It was very exciting,' said Trusz. 'All day she maintained a pace that was faster than anyone else on the track.' "