Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race
Encyclopedia
The Self-Transcendence 3100 mile race is the world's longest certified footrace according to its organizers.
This multiday race
is hosted by the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team and takes place in Queens, New York in the USA from June-August every year. The course is 3,100 miles (4,989 km) long. Runners negotiate 5649 laps of one extended city block in Jamaica, Queens
- 164th Place to Abigail Adams (84th) Avenue to 168th Street to Grand Central Parkway - a distance of 0.5488 mile (883 m). The runners have 51 days in which to complete the distance - an average of 60.78 miles (97.82 km) every day.
, which grew out of his wish to create an opportunity for runners to discover the limits of their capacities and to try to go beyond them. Hence the name "Self-Transcendence" which is appellated to all the footraces that the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team hosts. Since 1985 when the group first began holding races, the focus on the ultramarathon
and multiday races has grown, from the famous Ultra Trio, three races with staggered starts of 700, 1000 and 1300-mile duration that take place in September, and the spring races, which include the Self-Transcendence 6-Day race and the only annual race of its kind, the Self-Transcendence 10-Day race.
In 1996 Sri Chinmoy created this event as a 2,700-mile (4,345 km) race. At the award ceremony that year he declared that the 1997 edition would be extended to 3,100 miles (4,989 km). The race has been run at this distance every year since.
who broke his own time of 42 days 13:24:03 set in 2002 with a new record of 41 days 08:16:29 in July 2006. The ladies' record is held by Suprabha Beckjord
who completed 3100 miles in 49 days 14:30:54 in 1998. Suprabha Beckjord is the only person to have completed every edition of the race. Asprihanal Aalto
has won the race six times out of his nine starts.
This multiday race
Multiday races
Multiday races are ultramarathon running events which are typically either segmented into daily events of a specified distance or time, or staged so that runners can run as far as they want, at their own discretion, over a set course or over a set number of days...
is hosted by the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team and takes place in Queens, New York in the USA from June-August every year. The course is 3,100 miles (4,989 km) long. Runners negotiate 5649 laps of one extended city block in Jamaica, Queens
Jamaica, Queens
Jamaica is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States. It was settled under Dutch rule in 1656 in New Netherland as Rustdorp. Under British rule, the Village of Jamaica became the center of the "Town of Jamaica"...
- 164th Place to Abigail Adams (84th) Avenue to 168th Street to Grand Central Parkway - a distance of 0.5488 mile (883 m). The runners have 51 days in which to complete the distance - an average of 60.78 miles (97.82 km) every day.
History
The Self-Transcendence 3100 mile was founded by Sri ChinmoySri Chinmoy
Chinmoy Kumar Ghose, also known as Sri Chinmoy was an Indian spiritual teacher, poet, artist and athlete who immigrated to the U.S. in 1964., the founder of the religious organization "Sri Chinmoy Centre Church, Inc." better known as "Sri Chinmoy Centre"...
, which grew out of his wish to create an opportunity for runners to discover the limits of their capacities and to try to go beyond them. Hence the name "Self-Transcendence" which is appellated to all the footraces that the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team hosts. Since 1985 when the group first began holding races, the focus on the ultramarathon
Ultramarathon
An ultramarathon is any sporting event involving running longer than the traditional marathon length of .There are two types of ultramarathon events: those that cover a specified distance, and events that take place during specified time...
and multiday races has grown, from the famous Ultra Trio, three races with staggered starts of 700, 1000 and 1300-mile duration that take place in September, and the spring races, which include the Self-Transcendence 6-Day race and the only annual race of its kind, the Self-Transcendence 10-Day race.
In 1996 Sri Chinmoy created this event as a 2,700-mile (4,345 km) race. At the award ceremony that year he declared that the 1997 edition would be extended to 3,100 miles (4,989 km). The race has been run at this distance every year since.
Records
The course record is held by Madhupran Wolfgang SchwerkWolfgang Schwerk
Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk is an ultra-marathon runner, born July 28, 1955 and now living in Solingen, Germany. He was a trained retail-salesman, baritone opera singer, farmer, carpenter, and poultry breeder before becoming a house-husband in 1984...
who broke his own time of 42 days 13:24:03 set in 2002 with a new record of 41 days 08:16:29 in July 2006. The ladies' record is held by Suprabha Beckjord
Suprabha Beckjord
Suprabha Beckjord is an ultramarathon runner. The only person to have completed every edition of the Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race, she is one of the most enduring multiday athletes in the world...
who completed 3100 miles in 49 days 14:30:54 in 1998. Suprabha Beckjord is the only person to have completed every edition of the race. Asprihanal Aalto
Asprihanal Pekka Aalto
Ashprihanal Pekka Aalto is a Finnish ultramarathon runner who began running as a hobby at age 25.One of the best multiday runners in the world ranked second all-time for 3100 miles 2006. For three straight years he ran all three yearly Self-Transcendence multidays in New York - a feat...
has won the race six times out of his nine starts.
External links
- 3100 mile race 3100 mile race website
- http://harpers.org/archive/2007/08/0081648 - 'Run Like Fire Once More: Chasing perfection at the world's longest footrace'
- Sri Chinmoy Races.org -'Self-Transcendence 3100 mile race'
- Self-Transcendence.org Self-Transcendence 3100
- Multidays.com - '3100 miles in New York and other articles'
- Columbia News Service -'In this footrace, the last 3,000 miles are the toughest'
- ABC News - ABC Footage 2006
- Sopan3100.com - Sopans 3100 mile race site
- Lebedev.org.ua - Stutisheel Lebedev - website of a 3100-mile runner
- Ultrabeh.sk - reports from 3100 Miles Race