It was a little chilly in the morning, but the runners were ready to test themselves again. Adrian Papuc reached 3200 km to test himself, 32:05:11:53, then it was time to reach 2000 miles. Soon there were three more to join the 2000 Mile Team. Alex Ramsey arrived at the mark next in 32:12:46:30. Milan Javornicky was headed the same way, eventually reaching 2000 miles in 32:13: 23:14.
Daniela Bojila went past the 3200 km as well as the other runners, reaching 32:14:15:14. Although she was a little behind the other runners, it was her test to get the 2000-mile mark in the last hour of the day. Her great effort was in 32:17:10:01. In the process, she set a new inaugural National record, as the only female runner from Romania to have covered the distance. Eight runners are on course to finish the 3100 Mile Race. Ananda- Lahari Zuscin, once again, was on a roll and topped the daily mileage totals with 68.6 miles
Day 33
Ultra runners can become ultra swimmers.
Competitors in the Sri Chinmoy 3,100-mile race are like a unique club or family. Their dedication to accomplishing a challenge that so few have accomplished is, in some ways, beyond comprehension. Jayasalini Olga Abramovskikh is a member of that family. She ran the Sri Chinmoy 3,100-mile race in 2014 and finished in a time of 51 days, 12 Hours, 30 minutes, and 32 seconds. She is an accomplished ultra runner and multi-day runner, but this year turned her attention to ultra-swimming. Yesterday, she attempted the classic ultra-swim across the English Channel.
The English Channel is approximately 21 miles or 33.5 kilometres wide from Dover, where they enter the sea, to the French coast, at or near Cap Gris Nez (between Boulogne and Calais). Due to the vagaries of winds and tides, swimmers often travel much further.
Strict rules are set by the Channel Swimming Association to ensure accurate record keeping and also the safety of swimmers in one of the world’s busiest shipping Lanes. They must be accompanied by a pilot boat with a support crew on board. Sri Chinmoy Marathon team members Shyamala and Abhejali were on board, along with Sarah Philpott, a coach to many of the channel swimmers in Dover.
Swimmers, once in the water, cannot touch the boat, and all food and drinks are handed over the side of the boat on a leash or on a net. Compared with running an ultramarathon on dry land, it gives an extra component of difficulty. Jayasalinii is a strong but slow swimmer. She was in the water for over 14 hours and was making excellent, if slow, progress to France, when the wind strengthened and the tides changed. This resulted in her drifting northwest and being in danger of being taken way up the coast into the exclusion zone outside Calais.
The pilot made the difficult decision to abort the swim when she had reached French waters. Although obviously disappointed, one hopes she will be strengthened by the experience. Everyone who takes on life’s ultimate sporting challenges knows there is never any real failure in putting themselves on the line and trying. We wish Jayasalini a speedy recovery before finding her next challenge.
“The determination in your heroic effort
Will permeate your mind and heart,
Even after your success or failure
Is long forgotten”
Sri Chinmoy
Videos
Photos
More about: