The Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race
The World's Longest Footrace
Continuing a tradition that started who knows when, the race directors, helpers and cooks gather to discuss last minute race details. While the runners were enjoying pizza, general race details were discussed, and an update was given on the big construction project that will last throughout the summer. Some general questions were asked and everyone seemed ready to go. See you tomorrow! Rupantar
With 2 days remaining before 6 am start on Sunday, most of the major race preparations have been completed. We have two vans with a combined odometer reading of over 400,000 miles. We just had a rebuilt transmission put in one, and the other van had one put in some 50,000 miles ago. The vans are ready to go. The 1987 motor home is good enough to travel the 1/2 mile back and forth from the overnight parking area to the race.
Tomorrow we will have a prerace meeting with all 11 runners, handlers, cooks and the immediate staff of about 5. As the race director I have never run a distance anywhere near 3100 miles. But I have been involved with the Sri Chinmoy Marathon since its first real ultra race, a 1,000 race held in Flushing Meadow Park in 1985. So I have seen a great deal and I think that entitles me to put in my 2 cents worth of advice to the runners.
Well, almost all the runners are in Queens. Stutisheel arrives on Thursday. We are preparing the race vans with the necessary awnings for shade and protection from the rain.
The site 3100.ws will be maintained for blogging only.
3100.srichinmoyraces.org will contain all other race information
An interview with Grahak Cunnigham on ABC Australia. Grahak finished 2nd in the 2009 edition of the 3100 Mile Race.
On an overcast and somewhat cool summer afternoon in New York, 53-year-old Suprabha Beckjord reached the improbable milestone of 13 finishes of the Self-Transcendence 3100 mile race, completing the distance in 60 days+08:58:51.She was the final finisher of this year’s event. Her journeys in the last baker’s dozen of extreme multidays has brought her nearly twice around the world( 40,302.226 miles/ 64,622.160 km) while remaining in the confines of a .5488 mile loop around a city parkland and vocational high school sidewalks. The petite gift-shop owner has remained the only female entrant in the race’s existence and the only person to finish all thirteen. If you stack her best performance in the 3100(49 days,14 hours+)against the men athletes she still ranks 18th among the 26 finishers. She is an amazing superlong distance runner.
We hope you have enjoyed reading or hearing about the 3100 Mile race this year. See you next year!!
Suprabha Beckjord ran 45.55 miles today to get within 53 laps(29 miles) of her coveted goal of 3100 miles. The petite Washington,D.C. store-owner is trotting onto her own historical platform- 13 finishes and immortality at superlong distance running. No woman has ever run this race even once, and no man has run more miles than her. She is expected to finish between 3:00 and 4:00 pm local time. Thanks to all who helped make the event what it is.
With a 46.09 mile day under her belt, Suprabha Beckjord is only 136 laps from finishing. She has weathered the heat wave(?!!) and the difficult running surface to be in position to finish Thursday afternoon. This observer has never seen her so focused on getting the job done. The lucky thirteenth finish awaits. Thursday.
photo by Arpan
A more normal New York summer day – high nineties with high humidity and no breezes – was the formidable foe today, but our heroine Suprabha Beckjord carried on with 44.45 miles. A rendezvous with the finish line appears to be real on Thursday afternoon late. Tonight huge thunderstorms raged only miles away but the 3100 mile course was spared the heavy rains and high winds.
photo by Arpan
Starting alone at 6:00 am, Suprabha Beckjord continued her quest of 13 straight finishes with a 45.0016 mile day in stifling humidity and building heat. Monday and Tuesday are forecast for mid-nineties temps but the Washington,DC runner has seen it all over her thousands of laps on the Queens, NY course, so it probably will not slow her down too much. Stay tuned…
photo by Arpan
Thirty-four year-old Slovakian Ananda-Lahari Zuscin became the tenth person to finish this year, running 3100 miles in 55 days+10:12:07. This was his fifth finish and bettered by six hours last year’s effort. Suprabha Beckjord remains the last runner and will finish on Thursday, August 13th.