On a sometimes grey, overcast day, Vasu Duzhiy, the two-time defending champ, showed his fitness in a significant way, posting 79.02 miles to grab the lead. Ashprihanal Aalto looked a little sluggish and bothered a bit by a swollen right eye. He lost 30 laps to the Russian. Ananda-Lahari Zuscin from Slovakia also slipped by with another solid 74.08-mile day, and into second place. Smarana Puntigam, the returning Austrian record-holder, came within one lap of Mr Aalto as well. Thus it was as if the three men had almost formed a pincer movement on the poor Finn as he went home early. But, being only Day 2, it was just a tease. Everyone knows that if Mr. AA can weather the storm and gain fitness, in a week or two, he just might unleash his amazing capacity… or not. It all depends if he wants to.

Meanwhile, Nirbhasa Magee fashioned a 68.6-mile day to move from seventh to fifth. Only Kiwi Harita Davies missed reaching 60 miles, but not by much. She is in such great spirits that her fitness may come sooner than last time, and with a great support crew, she just might set a new best. It could even be a clean sheet for the entire group, but, this writer and the staff may be a bit too optimistic for that to happen. But, like the runners, we can at least dream the dream, right? Stay tuned!

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The 27th Annual Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race

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