As I write this, runners have finished day 31 of the Sri Chinmoy 3,100 Mile race. It has been raining for much of the last few days. Cold and damp probably understates the conditions as the runners circle the small loop course in New York, trying to remain cheerful, while battling the usual obstacles that both the outer and inner runner has to face when challenging themselves to run such a mind boggling distance.

They started their journey on Sunday 4th September. In the last 4 weeks two classic multi day races in Europe, the mountainous 330km Tor de Geants with 24,000 metres of climb in the Alps, and the  380 km Dragons Back Race, including 17,400 metres of climb down the length of Wales, have come and gone.  If that wasn’t enough, Aleksandr Sorokin spent the weekend of 17/18th September pushing his own 24 hour record out to just below 200 miles and the classic 245k Spartathlon race in Greece, retracing the steps of the famous greek warriors, has also been staged, completed and put back in it’s box till next year. Eliud Kipchoge cemented his claim as the greatest marathon runner of all time lowering his official world marathon record to 2:01:09 on September 25th. Oh yes, also in New York, Jake Wightman and Laura Muir were rocking the Manhattan streets winning their respective 5th Avenue Mile races. September has indeed been quite a month in the running world.

All the while the 3100 mile runners kept circling the same block, day after day, in New York on their own personal journeys.

WHAT is the 3100 mile race

The runners are running around a 0.5488mile (0.8832 Km)  loop in the suburb of Queens, New York. There is a 52 day cut off meaning runners have to average just under 60 miles a day/98km to finishing the race time limit. The top runners will run in excess of 70 Miles a day. The course is open from 6 am in the morning to midnight each day with a mandatory 6 hour break overnight.

The famous 3100 loop

The race, and the small loop, has carved its own unique niche in the ultra running community.

Make no mistake, this is extreme multi day running. A race the New York Times has likened to the “Mount Everest of ultra running”. It is like running, almost the equivalent of a US coast to coast  from San Diego to Boston or in European terms the distance of travelling from Tromso in the far north of Norway by the Artic circle to Palermo in Sicily by the Mediterranean Sea.  

Sri Chinmoy – the inspiration behind the race

Sri Chinmoy (1931-2007)was the inspiration behind the race. He was a spiritual teacher of meditation, who also placed tremendous emphasis on physical fitness. He felt that improving ones physical fitness and looking after the body was extremely helpful to a happy inner life. He often talked about the outer runner and the inner runner complimenting one another.

Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team

The Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team promote running, swimming and triathlon events all over the world. They developed a reputation for organising ultra distance events and the 3100 mile race developed and evolved as Sri Chinmoy encouraged runners to push their boundaries out further. It is the longest race they organise and is the longest certified road race in the world.

The idea of self-transcendence is a cornerstone of Sri Chinmoy’s philosophy. In his own words: “Self-transcendence gives us joy in boundless measure. When we transcend ourselves, we do not compete with others. We do not compete with the rest of the world, but at every moment we compete with ourselves.“

It is this ultimate competition with oneself as well as respect for others putting themselves on the line that seems to attract runners to the 3100 mile race.

Who runs the 3100 mile race

For some it is a once in a lifetime challenge, to embrace the sheer enormity of running over 3000 miles. For others it is almost an annual pilgrimage with some runners returning year after year drawn back to the unique experience they have and the unique atmosphere that only a race of this enormity can engender.

Some are international standard ultra runners who have represented their countries at IAU 24 hour championships fascinated by the challenge of the distance.

Others are self confessed competent recreational ultra runners looking for their ultimate challenge. Several are students of Sri Chinmoy and his philosophy, who just thrive on pushing their own boundaries out. They may not be the most talented athletes, but they have all learned through their own experience, or will learn as the race progresses, how to make the body cope with running 60-70 miles a day, every day for up to 52 days.

Inner and outer fuel

In a long multi day event ,runners have to learn how to run efficiently, while also learning how to fuel regularly and adequately so that the body has at least a chance of staying ahead of the “curve of degradation” that an arduous event like this naturally brings.

They also have to try and stay focussed and happy for 7 or 8 weeks, and it this aspect that also draws runners to the race. Runners and coaches all talk of finding a Flow state where running just comes naturally and almost effortlessly.

Nearly every ultra runner you talk too whatever they believe in will tell of races or training runs where everything just gelled and became effortless. A performance pulled out of nowhere, a long hilly training route where the time just sailed by.

Sports scientists try to quantify it and offer reasons and strategies to attain “The Flow”. Most runners struggle to explain it ,but talk of a feeling of deep peace and energy coming from somewhere . Anyone who has experienced the 3100 agrees there are times when your physical body is totally suffering in some way yet, they feel this inner energy they can tap into to override the physical challenges that just keeps them in “relentless forward motion”.

Some of this years runners

Andrea Mercato has won the last two editions of the race. The former Italian 24 hr international is maintaining a steady lead at the front of this year’s race averaging over 70 miles a day, every day. He has the third fastest time in the race of 42 days 17 hours, 38 minutes, 38 seconds and hopes to be challenging that time if he maintains current form for the next 10 days!

The current race record holder, also running this year is Finland’s Asprihanal Aalto. A former Finnish 24 hour international, he is a record 15 time finisher of the race and race Record holder. His 2015 time of 40 days 09 hrs 06 minutes and 21 seconds beat the previous record of 41 days 8 hrs 16 min 29 secs which had been set by Madhupran Schwerk the German 24 hour record holder. Both runners averaged over 75 miles a day in their record runs. He is currently in second place in this years race. After a steady start, when Mercato built a solid lead, Asprihanal was on a roll and slowly day by day was closing the gap on first place. then he started having a few issues and had to dial back his daily effort. His experience of the race telling him, being competitive with others has its place, but being competitive with yourself and actually being able to finish the race while having a good experience, is the overall goal.

Currently lying 3rd is the Taiwanese runner Lo Wei Ming. Returning for a second time he is the first Asian runner to complete the race and famously received a call from the Premier of Taiwan just minutes after finishing last years race. He is also running the entire race, as he does most of his events, in a pair of flip flop style sandals.

New Zealander Susan Marshall is currently leading the ladies race by a small 30 mile margin from Huang Lan Yang, a Taiwanese, currently living in Japan. who everyone calls Nina. Like many of the runners, Susan has struggled with the consistent heavy rain the last few days and has a mild cold so had an easy day of 50 miles yesterday, to allow her body to recover.

Kannenika Janakova, A prolific multi day runner from Slovakia, set the women’s record of 48 days+14:24:10 in 2017. She is running her 4th Sri Chinmoy 3100 mile race

Why run the 3100 mile race

Great Britain’s William Sichel has run the race twice. In 2014 he became the oldest finisher of the race at age 60. Co Race Director Rupantar La Russo has often said , “This race changes peoples lives”. I asked William recently if that was true from his experience ?

“Absolutely” was his instant reply! “It takes you somewhere else for several weeks, and makes you appreciate just being in the moment and dealing with things”

My full chat with William, on his multi day experiences, will be up on the blog soon.

FINISH LINE of the Sri Chinmoy 3,100 mile race

On current pace the race leader, Andrea Mercato is due to finish the race in around 10 or 11 days time around October 16th. They say a week is a long time in politics, it is a long time for a runner in the 3100 mile race too,

FOLLOW THE RACE

If you are fascinated to find out more , A full list of runners and details of the race, and daily updates can be found HERE

Short trailer of Sanjay Rowal’s film 3100 Run and Become HERE The full movie can be streamed from 7
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Full details of the Sri Chinmoy 3100 mile race can be found HERE

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