About the author:

Medur is our go-to person for many of the essential tasks involved in putting on our races: race setup, our lap counting system and our website. An enthusiastic runner himself, he has participated in many editions of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run in Canada and the US.

Kerron Clement has broken indoor world record for the 400m

The 19-year-old was competing for the University of Florida...

Clement has already won world junior championship medals

Trinidad-born teenager Kerron Clement has broken Michael Johnson's decade-old indoor world record for the 400m.

The 19-year-old was competing for the University of Florida at the National Collegiate Athletic Association indoor championships in Arkansas.

Clement, who is the world junior 400m hurdles champion, clocked a time of 44.57 seconds, as opposed to Johnson's time of 44.63 seconds.

University of Arkansas' Terry Gatson came second in 45.29 seconds.

It was the second big success in a week for the teenager, who had helped his university team set a new NCAA 4x400m relay record the previous weekend.

"I can't describe how I feel," he said aftewards.

"When I crossed the line, I wanted to cry, that was my first reaction" he said. "It was so overwhelming - breaking Michael Johnson's record. I guess it's mine now."

Congratulations Kerron from SCMT!

Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team articles - more articles

Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team member Abhejali Bernardová completed her 5th 'Oceans Seven' swim on March 28, 2017 – the 42 km (26 mile) wide Ka'iwi Channel between the two Hawaiian islands of Molokai and Oahu.

Abhejali celebrated her 40th birthday with a rather atypical Hawaiian holiday - swimming the Ka'iwi Channel (also called the Molokai channel) protected by nothing more than a swimsuit, goggles, cap, sunscreen and a light stick at night, supported by her crew of helpers and hundreds of wellwishers from around the world.

Abhejali is the first Czech person to complete this noted swim without a wetsuit and unassisted, following English Channel rules. Only 46 swimmers in the world (with 50 swims), 19 of them women, had ever succeeded before (see list). Many swimmers’ attempts over the years had to be aborted, sometimes only after one or a few hours of swimming, due to life-threatening jellyfish stings, sharks, currents and numerous other factors. But Abhejali was very lucky, in spite of at times very difficult conditions.

The beeline route between the Pacific islands of Molokai and O'ahu is exactly marathon distance - 42 kilometers or 26 miles. Abhejali did not have an easy time during her 21 hours and 52 minute challenge, and was pushed quite a bit off the straight line between the two islands. Her first challenge was to swim to the beach for an official start at 5:21 p.m. through a huge surf. She was then pushed to the north for a few hours, with the currents changing just in time to allow her westward journey (It seems our prayers worked in this regard – the pilot told her helpers to ask for higher support, and then the currents started to change!) Swimming through the pitch black new-moon night for 12 hours, with nothing to see apart from the lightsticks bobbing up and down on the kayak, made her seasick until the morning dawn. (The start was timed so as to allow her predicted landing to coincide with the slack or rising flood tide on Oahu.) Then for the last 9 hours, her progress was slowed down to 1 mile per hour by unfavourable currents again.

Her crossing of the Ka'iwi channel is Abhejali`s 5th successful Oceans Seven swim. The Oceans Seven challenge is the ocean equivalent to the Seven Summits (climbing the highest peaks on the seven continents) and involves conquering some of the toughest channels and straits around the world. With the English and Catalina Channel, the Straits of Gibraltar and Tsugaru in the bag, the next steps for Abhejali will be the North Channel between Ireland and Scotland in summer and the Cook Strait between the North and South islands of New Zealand at some later point. In addition, Abhejali is currently still the only Czech holder of the “Triple Crown” of open water swimming (English Channel, Catalina Channel and Manhattan island).

Abhejali, who works in a publishing company as a translator, has been a vegetarian for 20 years and practices meditation, which definitely helps her in preparing and enduring her athletic challenges. She is also a multiple Czech running champion over 100km and 24 hours and ran the 6-day race in New York, covering 616 km. Less than 3 weeks before her Molokai swim she organized the first Czech 6 hour indoor pool swim in her home town of Zlin, with over 100 solo and relay participants. She had this to say about her crossing: "You might say this is Hawaii - so what could be difficult? But believe me, it was definitely not about 'hanging loose'. Even swimming to the start, over enormous waves, was a challenge. Then came the current pushing us north after it got dark, plus I got really seasick during the whole 12 hours of the night, unable to take anything in and throwing up for a long time. Only after daybreak was I able to normally eat and drink and get some energy again. Then I swam into two box jellyfish. I knew this could happen and it would be painful and dangerous, but I had no idea it would hurt so much and for such a long time. For the last 9 miles (about 15km) the waves and currents were against us, so the last part took me nine hours instead of the usual four.

I was very grateful to have a shark shield attached to my helper kajak, supplied for free by e-sharkforce, a company based in Hawaii. Sharks were one of the great topics before my crossing, especially since they had appeared in recent swims, so I was grateful for the protection and peace of mind that it brought. Luckily we did not encounter any sharks, but we saw humpback whales and dolphins. Bottom line: it was a beautiful and unique experience, but I'm glad - at least for the moment - that it is over and I made it across. Swimming in the mighty Pacific Ocean with its enormous power and erratic currents, wind and waves, was definitely an unforgettable experience.”

Abhejali with helpers Jayalata, Rupasi and Jayasalini, photo by Harita

Dedicated to Peace and Self-Transcendence

With her long distance swims Abhejali is trying to connect places and people, and to inspire others to transcend their own perceived limits and boundaries. In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run this year, an global torch relay which Abhejali helps to organise in her spare time, she dedicated her Molokai Channel swim to peace, international friendship and world harmony. “You can say, every stroke in such a swim is a prayer - a prayer invoking and sending out positive energy, peace and harmony. Just as conquering an ocean takes an enormous amount of inspiration, dedication, determination, physical training, mind power as well as heart power, courage and persistence against all odds, plus the faith and conviction that something seemingly impossible can be made possible, so also peace-building is a slow process against many odds where every little effort counts and adds up, where the power of the heart is needed – by more and more people! And both are always team efforts!”

Speaking of team effort, she is extremely grateful to all her inner and outer supporters, including her helpers Harita (New Zealand), Rupasi (USA), Jayalata (Czech Republic) and Jayasalini (Russia), as well as the experienced boat captain Mike Twigg-Smith, co-Captain Mike Scott, kayakers Ecar Roush and Chris Harmes, and Jeff Kozlovic from the Ka'iwi Channel Association.

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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 Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team celebrates its 40th birthday this year. Local Marathon Team director Sahishnu Sczcesiul writes about how the Marathon Team grew from Sri Chinmoy's philosophy of self-transcendence to the largest organiser of ultradistance and endurance events.

The Marathon Team is named after its founder and guiding light, spiritual Master Sri Chinmoy. The meditation leader had been a stellar athlete during his youth in his native India, excelling in sprinting, decathlon, soccer and volleyball in the spiritual community where he lived. Based in New York since 1964, he inspired his students to live a fulfilling life integrating the peace of meditation with the dynamism of action, particularly sport. The “self-transcendence” aspect of his philosophy was complemented by service to the world.

Sri Chinmoy resided in Jamaica, Queens, NY, in a quiet community, where he was joined by many of his followers. Like their teacher, they, too, were becoming runners, with his constant encouragement. Beginning in 1970, the Sri Chinmoy Centre Sports Day provided an annual opportunity for them to participate in track and field events. But long-distance running would become the hallmark of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team. In 1976, 33 students of the Master ran the non-stop Liberty Torch relay through the fifty states, carrying a flaming torch to honour America during the Bicentennial year. Long-distance running soon featured prominently in the spiritual life of Sri Chinmoy’s students—for itself, and for the symbolism of the endless journey to perfection.

Sri Chinmoy urged his students to offer running races to the public—for dynamism, energy and joy, as well as fitness and health. The first running event in the history of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team took place on October 2, 1977, in the hills and dales of Greenwich, Connecticut.

start 13 mile 1979.jpg — A 1979 half-marathon in Flushing Meadow park, with over 500 people

The sprinkling of running races on the SCMT calendar would eventually become a flood, as new events of varying distances emerged (2 miles, 10K, 10 miles). Sri Chinmoy himself ventured into long-distance running in 1978, completing his first marathon on March 3, 1979 in 4:31:34 and, just 22 days later, his fastest, in 3:55:07. Twenty more marathons and two 47-mile ultras followed. He was vividly demonstrating both his own pursuit of physical excellence and the power of his energizing message, even as he reached the age of 47 years and beyond. By 1980, the Marathon Team was sponsoring marathons, 13-mile races, five-mile races and even a 24-hour event. Triathlons joined the schedule, as well as 70-mile races and weekly two-milers.

ckg corbitt at 24 hour race.jpg — Sri Chinmoy with his friend and ultra running legend Ted Corbitt at the first 24-hour race in 1980

But the biggest and best was yet to come.In 1985, Sri Chinmoy encouraged the Team to stage a 1,000-mile race, the first of its kind in the Western hemisphere. In 1987 he increased the distance to 1,300 miles. In 1996, “the longest race in the world” became 2,700 miles; the next year it jumped to 3,100 miles, and so it remains every year: still the longest certified footrace in the world, held on a one-mile urban loop.

The 3100 Mile race - now in its 21st year

Conservatively, it is estimated that the Team has hosted nearly 2,000 running events in New York since 1977—including 124 multi-day races since 1985.

The expansion of the Marathon Team reached worldwide, and many countries continue to schedule running events, long-distance swimming races, bicycle races, triathlons, marathons and ultras of various distances under the SCMT banner. Just like the New York races, all events strive to maintain the lofty standards of precision and personal service established by Sri Chinmoy himself, with proper runner splits and timing, multiple aid stations, enthusiastic support and—importantly!—great vegetarian food.

The Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team organises races in over 20 countries - including this one in Australia

The theme of the races offered by the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team continues to be “self-transcendence”—going beyond one’s perceived limitations and finding new capacity, which ultimately leads to real satisfaction. May the Marathon Team always treasure the self-giving principle that Sri Chinmoy offered to the world: “Never give up, never give up. You can always do more, you can always love more, you can always offer more.”

On behalf of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team, we, the volunteer staff, offer gratitude to all the athletes of the last 40 years for running our races and giving us the joy of serving our fellow travelers on life’s great journey.

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