About the author:

Nirbhasa is originally from Ireland but currently lives in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is an enthusiastic multi-day runner, having completed four times the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race - the longest race in the world.

Even for elite runners, it is by no means guaranteed to finish the 3100 mile race within the 52 day cuttoff on your first attempt. This year  aw two runners do just that - Kobi Oren from Israel crossed the line in 46+ days, becoming the third fastest first-time finisher, and Ushika Muckenhummer from Salzburg, Vienna followed suit on day 51.

Matthias van Baaren has been sending us all kinds of interesting race graphs and statistics for many years now; this year he has compiled a list of first time finishes over the years. As you can see, in the early years the race often went past the official 51-day limit at Sri Chinmoy's discretion, but then in 2010 the limit was strictly enforced at 52 days. In 2011, the race organisers had to shut down the course due to an extended heat wave of over 100 degrees, which extended the deadline to 54 days.