About the author:

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

The following story appears in Anthony Rodale's blog FitWild.com

Imagine spending a summer running 3,100 miles, a distance that would take you from Seattle to Miami. If you attempted that particular run this past summer, as you crossed the Cascades, you may have slowed, feeling the effects of the Heat Dome. And let’s say you started with a group of friends who quickly jumped ahead of you. As you progress through the Midwest into the South, you are told they are already a hundred miles ahead. You might feel that you’ll never be able to catch up. You plod along though Arkansas and over the Great Smoky Mountains. Somehow, though, as you gear up for the final 200 miles, the leader’s silhouette becomes faintly visible against the backdrop of the Epcot Center in Orlando. With each successive mile en route to Miami, you seem to be getting closer. As the Miami Skyline comes into view, you can actually see the leader just 9 miles ahead of you. For complete story...