The longest foot race in the world of 3100 miles will start on June 17th at 6 am in New York City. It will be the 22nd edition since the inception of the race in 1997 by Sri Chinmoy.
The annual 3100-Mile Self-Transcendence race was named ‘The Mount Everest of ultramarathons’ by the New York Times. Runners have to average 59.6 miles per day – for 52 straight days – in order to reach the goal of 3100 miles within the time limit. The running surface is concrete sidewalks around a playground, ball fields, and the confines of a vocational high school, all in a city neighborhood setting. The runners have 18 hours daily to be out on the corse.
The physical and psychological demands are prodigious, if not overwhelming. Thus, participation is limited to invited athletes who have a convincing resume of multi-day running experience and have demonstrated elite endurance abilities. No more than 14 runners participate per an event.
Over the past 21 starts of the 3100 mile race, only 41 athletes from 18 countries have been able to cross the finish line.
There are 11 runners at the 3100-2018 starting list so far:
1. Vasu Nikolay Duzhiy, Russia
2. William Sichel, Scotland
3. Stutisheel Oleg Lebedev, Ukraine
4. Smarana Puntigam, Austria
5. Usika Muckenhumer, Austria
6. Sopan Tsekov, Bulgaria
7. Ananda Pahari Zuschin, Slovakia
8. Kobi Oren, Israel
9. Kaneeneka Yanakova, Slovakia
10. Surasa Maier, Austria
11. Yolanda Holder, USA
About the 3100 mile race of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team, I want to say: These runners really don’t fear the distance. Records are to be broken. When I set the Marathon world record 2003 in Berlin it was, because I didn’t fear the speed and distance. In the same way the 3100 mile runners set personal records not just for themselves, but for the development of the world.
The most important thing is that what you believe in. You have to accept that you can run a bad race. Tomorrow is the motivation that counts. That’s why I am not able to quit a race.
I also have the conviction that sport is not only winning medals or being number “1”. It is a passion to race and finish.
We can not feel good every day. The most important thing is that we believe. I came to sport, because there was a calling, a purpose. And that God knows why I came to this standard to use it for my inner life. Because of a higher power, I have not only broken world records and have grown into something.
Paul Tergat
World record holder in the marathon from 2003 to 2007, with a time of 2:04:55. He is the Kenyan NOC president and an ambassador of the United Nations World Food program.
3100-Mile Race official website
Stutisheel’s blog
Stutisheel’s books on 3100-Mile Race
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