Category: 2014 race

It was a muggy, hot day in New York, the kind we normally see here each summer, the kind that has been scarce for the last six weeks. Our tired but determined runners still kept on, looking forward to life at the beach, eating at a dinner table while seated, or other niceties taken for granted. Vasu Duzhiy kept his pursuit of the podium on full tilt with a 69.1 mile day, climbing within 10 miles of Pranjal Milovnik, the stalwart Slovakian. Yuri Trostenyuk continued his excellent adventure in second place with 64.7 miles, and Sarvagata Ukrainskyi is within 105 mile of finishing on Tuesday afternoon, if he doesn’t tear off his shirt to reveal a big ‘S’ on his chest and do it all in one full day on Monday(wink!). The ladies-three all came short of 60 miles but remain in good spirits. And to top off the day, a Scottish piper in full regalia serenaded the athletes and crew with terrific songs of energy and timeless spirit. With nine days left, the runners are ready to fly. Stay tuned friends.

Stutisheel Lebedyev-2700 miles= 42 days+06:27:41

Only one man has ever dared to finish on the forty-second day in the 3100 Mile Race- Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk of Germany in 2006. His 41 days and eight hours of work present the gold standard- an average of nearly 75 miles per day(120 km). Even with surprisingly cool weather this summer, still the record is safe. For the lesser mere mortals, Sarvagata Ukrainskyi moves closer to a Tuesday finish line after a fine 71.34 mile day. If he finishes before 7:38pm on Tuesday evening he will eclipse his own best mark(44 days +13:38:52). Yuri Trostentuk will hope for a late Thursday finish(or Friday morning). If Pranjal Milovnik from Slovakia closes the deal he can also eclipse his personal best. There is a possibility of nine finishers this year. Go runners!!

Pranjal Milovnik-2700 miles=41 days+07:56:54
Vasu Duzhiy-2700 miles=41 days+13:10:20

On another remarkably pleasant July day in New York, eight runners made it past 60 miles. Race leader Sarvagata Ukrainskyi has improved to a lead of over 140 miles with a sparkling 76.2 mile day. He has 237.6 miles to cover before reaching the coveted finish line. Vasu Duzhiy has moved to within 17 miles of third place with an excellent 68+ miles as well. Sarah Barnett increased her lead over second woman Jayasalini Olga Abramovskikh to 70 miles and looks fresh and in control. She remains sixth overall. William Sichel has extended his positive mileage to an eleven mile cushion. He looks like one of the freshest runners on the course. Eleven days remain but time is speeding up it seems.
Yuri Trostenyuk-2700 miles= 40 days+12:07:40

With the weather offering a perfect setting, nine of the 14 made it past 60 miles, and two more were over 59 miles. Sarvagata Ukrainskyi led the group once more with 68+ miles. He needs 313+ miles to finish this journey of five million steps- perhaps next Tuesday afternoon. Meanwhile, Stutisheel Lebedyev and Yuri Trostenyuk are carving out personal bests, and Pranjal Milovnik is trying to hold off the charging Vasu Duzhiy, who is 22 miles behind him. Sarah Barnett has all but sewn up the womens’ title as she increases her lead almost daily over Jayasalini Olga Abramovskikh and Nidhruvi Zimmerman. Ananda-Lahari Zuscin flipped a 62.5 mile day and made it look effortless for seven hours until his dormant running muscles told him to slow down. It is fascinating to watch each runner make their rounds with whatever available energy they have left. We hope to have a live webcam for the finishers if technically possible.

A warm sticky day and wet evening could not stop the hero-warriors of the 3100 Mile Race as they approached their appointed rounds. Sarvagata Ukrainskyi assumed the mantle of Day leader again with a fine 70.2 mile effort. He needs another five and a half days to finish this effort. Perhaps Tuesday at noon will suit him. Sarah Barnett carried another fine effort throughout the day to 66+ miles. William Sichel, enjoying his first day back in a small cushion of miles above the cutoff, reached 62.56. He has overcome a deficit of nearly 70 miles to be on pace to finish. To add even more inspiration to the mix, Teekshanam Dodonu ran 62+ miles, his first time of regular running without shin splints since Day 27.

Sarvagata Ukrainskyi-2700 miles= 38 days+14:26:57

With only two weeks left there are looks of determination on the runners faces, along with fatigue marks and effort lines that are hard to hide. Yet they manage to go on. Vasu Duzhiy led the group with 66.4 miles, followed closely by Pranjal Milovnik and Yuri Trostenyuk. Although it might seem that the athletes are competing only with themselves, none want to give up a place on the board, at least without a wink and a smile. Camaraderie is still high but focus dominates the gaze of the runners. Sarah Barnett continues to lead the ladies after another 63 mile day. One more warm day awaits

A long, difficult race pampers no one. The prodigious distance is difficult to fathom, the daily mileage is hard calculate in the tired brain, the nerve endings must be frazzled. And that is just the helpers and onlookers! The runners keep going, no matter how tired they might appear. Seven of these fearless athletes made it past 60 miles again, led by the Mr. Ukrainskyi, known as Sarvagata. He hit 70 miles with less than a minute to go before midnight. Sarah Barnett helped him get there, running 65.85 miles of her own to pad the lead over her female rivals to 49 miles. Messrs Yuri Trostenyuk,Vasu Duzhiy, and William Sichel each had 65.3 miles on their scoresheets as well. With just a day over two weeks left in the race, the runners are getting ready for the last push to the finish. Lap times are speeding up, rest breaks are not wasted on conversations or distractions. No time to waste. A meeting with destiny awaits.

Today nine runners went past 60 miles on another pleasant, moderate day. Defending champ Vasu Duzhiy led the way with 70.79 miles.One of the tenets of being a good multi-day runner seems to be to forget the past, no matter how good or bad it was. Case in point- William Sichel,60,has climbed from the depths of disappointment to a sublime feeling of accomplishment within the last two weeks. He was over 80 miles behind pace to finish the race. Today he is only eight miles back and doing well. He can probably right the ship by Tuesday. He will certainly gain a higher place or two on the scoreboard if he can hold form.

It is hard to imagine five weeks on the block have expired, but the totals of miles and constant movement of the race make the elapse of time seem almost superfluous. One man who managed to utilize nearly every moment of the day was Sarvagata Ukrainskyi, who ran 81.2 miles, the highest total he has ever run in his four years at this event. His compatriot Stutisheel Lebedyev ran his third straight day of 70.79 miles. He is on pace for a personal best if his form holds. The first nine all ran over sixty miles. The temps barely reached 80ºF with some high cloud cover and breezes to make it an extraordinary day. The focus of the total group is quite admirable as we head into the sixth week of extreme distance running. With the weather so good, who knows what to expect. Will we see all fourteen pass the 60 mile barrier on the same day? Stay tuned.

Slightly cooler temperatures contributed to some fine performances by our weary band of runners. Stutisheel Lebedyev from Kiev, Ukraine made it two straight days over 70+miles to cop Day honors for the men. William Sichel was second best with 68+ miles, and has moved closer to being on pace to finish. Nidhruvi Zimmerman led the ladies with 59.8 miles.
Nidhruvi Zimmerman-2000 miles= 33 days+12:21:50
William Sichel-2000 miles = 33 days+16:43:55