Day 26 Halfway Home A soaking rainstorm slowed our group of eleven runners a little last night, but not enough to hinder their pursuit of new mileage. Seven topped the necessary sixty miles, and the first three went past seventy again. 'Mr Seventy' Galya V. Balatskyy reached a new record with 70.79 miles- his twenty-sixth staight day over the hallowed level. Vasu Duzhiy rode a wave of energy late in the evening to finish at 70.24 miles and solidify his hold on third place. Race leader Ashprihanal Aalto reached 75.73 miles for the day and remains only five laps short of 2000 miles. The end of the day signaled the halfway point of the race around the block. The first eight runners are in positive mileage and should/will finish barring catastrophe. Nirbhasa Magee had a good resurgence today and is only 7 miles behind the needed pace to finish.

Galya V. Balatskyy-3000 km-25 days+13:33:08 ( PB by over two days)

Ashprihanal Aalto-26 days total-new record- 1997.6320 miles (3214.8768 km)

old record-Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk-1969.0944 miles(3168.9500 km)

Ashprihanal Aalto-3200 km-new record-25 days+16:08:07

old record-Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk-26 days+0414:19

Race stories

Every day at the 3100 mile race course offers new surprises and new arrivals to help or witness this spectacular event. Today two more runners, Kaneenika and Stutisheel, reached the halfway point of 1550 miles on this officially halfway day 26 of the 52 days allotted. Papaha from San Diego, Prabuddha from Australia and some new helpers arrived today as well. Prabuddha loves and follows this race every day on the internet and now, for the first time, he is physically present, coming all the way from Australia to stop by here on his way to Ireland. Vasavi, one of Surasa's excellent handlers, tells us what it feels like to have to leave for home at the halfway point. The rains came late in the evening as we see on one of the videos what it is like for the runners to run in the pouring rain.

Click on the arrows for the slide show of some of today's excitement. Enjoy the videos as we see another great day on this great journey of 3100 miles.

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Sport and Meditation

Inner secrets to get the most out of training and competing

Race stories

Being very present and focused in the moment is most important for all the runners. The mind cannot comfortably fathom the length of such a profound race nor the energy needed to stay the course for weeks on end. Yet many of these runners have come back here again and again to experience this ultimate challenge of multiday running. Ananda-Lahari is participating in his eleventh 3100 miler. Even when he does not complete the whole 3100 miles he always goes to the end of 52 days with happiness and joy. In this interview he explains how and why he does it, over and over and over again.

[Vimeo url="

Race Director's updates

Day 25 Seven runners made it past sixty miles today- no small feat with the high humidity, sticky-hot conditions. Showers enveloped the area for 30 minutes around 5:00pm, but the surrounding humidity could not stop the momentum of three men. Atmavir Petr Spacil reached 70.79 miles thanks to a rejuvenation of his GI tract and stomach issues. he is in a great rhythm now, and looks forward to even better days. Galya Vladimir Balatskyy set a new event record with 25 consecutive days of 70 or more miles each and every day. His consistency, effort and power is nearly unmatched in race event annuls. Not one bad day this race- this year- for him. Yet, he trails the leader of the race by 111.4 miles. Ashprihanal Aalto is heading to unmatched territory in endurance sports. His per day average is 76.87 miles per day(123.72 km). He and Galya are setting a tremendous pace for the rest of the field and are rewriting the record books. More later...

Ashprihanal Aalto-3000km-new record-24 days+04:06:04-

old record-Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk- 24 days+11:27:20

Ashprihanal Aalto-1900 miles-new record-24 days+13:00:01-

old record-Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk-25 days+01:46:35

Ashprihanal Aalto-25 days total-new record-1921.8972 miles(3092.9941 km)

old record-Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk-1891.7136 miles (3044.4177 km)

Race Director's updates

Day 24 On a warm, sticky day with a threat of t-storms the top eight runners all glided past 60 miles. Three men defied the sticky, humid air to even work past 70 miles. The star of the day was Galya V. Balatskyy of Mariupol,Ukraine, who tied a heretofore impervious record of 24 consecutive day of at least 70 miles. That he did it right from the start of this super-long race speaks volumes about his fitness, confidence and innate trust in a plan to go long every day. What is also interesting is that the man who held the record for five years-Ashprihanal Aalto- is also in the race and is leading Galya by almost 106 miles. Mr. Aalto led the day in mileage again with 76.8 miles, and is looking to an even bigger goal that is getting closer as the days disappear. Vasu Duzhiy went past 70 again and has increased his lead on third place by over 13 miles. Surasa Mairer had her best day since Day 15 as she topped 65 miles. Atmavir Spacil seems to be back on track and feeling better with a 63+ mile day, his first in eight days. He can be a factor in this race down the road. We shall see..

Ashprihanal Aalto-1800 miles-new record-23 days+07:10:04-

old record-Madhupran Schwerk- 23 days+14:21:51

Ashprihanal Aalto-2900 km-new record-23 days+07:38:53

old record-Madhupran Schwerk-23 days+14:57:09

Ashprihanal Aalto-24 days-total-1845.0656 miles (2969.3450 km)

old record-Madhupran Schwerk- 1814.3328 miles (2919.8854 km)

Race stories

The logistics for this race are quite complex including the actual infrastructure of vehicles. Each vehicle has multiple functions such as medical, resting places, storage, lighting and protection from the elements.Setting up the vehicles usually involves some team work each morning, especially on the days when they have to be moved due to alternate side of the street parking. The following video demonstrates some of the efforts involved in setting up one of the motorhome awnings for sun and rain protection.

Race stories

Four of the runners are Russian or Ukranian as well as many of the helpers in this race. So we get to hear lots of Russian words being tossed around. After Vasu, a Ukranian living in Russia, completed the 1550 miles halfway point, Ashprihanal congratulated him with a small gift. In the following video we have the small celebration of Vasu's halfway achievement and the sweet interaction between him and current race leader Ashprihanal, including a Russian language lesson for him.

Race Director's updates

Day 23 With temperatures remaining at or below 80ºF, the runners were able to continue the journey with good mileage forecast. Ashprihanal Aalto ran 76.83 miles to extend his lead over second place to 100 miles. Galya Balatskyy extended his terrific streak to 23 straight days over 70 miles with another 72.44 outing. Vasu Duzhiy in third equaled Galya's total for his seventh foray over 70 in the last nine days. Yuri trostenyuk was still solid in fourth place with 67.5 miles. The first four men are all on PB's up to this point. Surasa Mairer has also been solid for the ladies with 64.2 today as she continues her consecutive days-over -60 streak to 14. Kaneenika Janakova had her best day since Day 16 with 63.1 miles. She is now on the plus side of the mileage barrier needed to finish the race.

Galya V. Balatskyy-halfway-21 days+06:30:25 Vasu Duzhiy-halfway-22 days+08:12:48

Yuri Trostenyuk-halfway-22 days+09:53:30

Ashprihanal Aalto-1700 miles-new record-22+01:48:51

old record-Madhupran Schwerk-22 days+08:18:34

Ashprihanal Aalto-2800 km-new record-22 days+09:56:06

old record-Madhupran Schwerk-23 days+00:34:18

Ashprihanal Aalto- 23 days total-new record-1768.2336 miles(2845.6959 km)

old record-Madhupran Schwerk-1737.5008 miles (2796.2363 km)

Race Director's updates

Day 22 On a day with less humidity and clearer skies our hero-warriors continued on. Seven slipped past 60 miles with three men well past 70. Vasu Duzhiy and Galya Vladimir Balatskyy reached 72.44 miles each- Vasu over 70 for six out of the last eight days. Galya continues an amazing consistency streak of 22 staight days with 70 miles or more. He is having a race of a lifetime, brimming with confidence and a deep joy as lap after lap are recorded. Ashprihanal Aalto is on another level. This morning he confided that he had been battling a head cold, and with raspy voice, said that he felt better today than in the last five days. On cue he produced another hard-fought 77.92 mile performance. Surasa Mairer moved into sixth place with another 60+ effort. She has 13 straight days of plus mileage and shows little weakness. Stutisheel Lebedyev moved into seventh place with a 65.3 mile day.

Ashprihanal Aalto 2700 km New Record-21 days+15:10:57

-Old Record-Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk-22 days+03:18:31

Ashprihanal Aalto 22 days New Record-1691.4016 miles (2722.0468 km)

-Old Record -Madhupran Schwerk- 1662.3152 miles ( 2675.2368 km)

Race stories

It seems like just yesterday that this epic race began early on a Sunday morning. Step by step, lap by lap, day by day, the runners are making considerable progress towards their goal. Today Galya reached the halfway point, the second runner so far to do so. Regardless of the outcome for each runner, this race is really a journey of experiences in striving for a distant goal.

In the following interview with Baladev, one of the runners who has been here multiple times, we gain some insight into some of these experiences.

Live music is a great encouragement to the runners. In the following video we see some of the women singers offering the runners a dynamic song written by Sri Chinmoy called, 'Only The Top'.

Race Director's updates

Day 21 Three weeks are done. Eleven runners are still along for the journey. The weight of this endeavor is visible in effort marks on their faces or injuries to their feet, legs, general health or pysche. Yet, they move along. Surasa Mairer has climbed to within three laps of sixth place with another fine 64.2 mile effort. Vasu Duzhiy is still in third place by two laps over Yuri Trostenyuk. They are both averaging 68+ miles per day. Second place belongs to Galya V. Balatskyy. He has the streak intact- 21 straight days at over 70 miles on each day. He is still running smoothly and powerfully, particularly in the evenings. He is at 72.49 miles per day (116.67 km). Ashprihanal Aalto has led from the opening start on Day 1 to the present, averaging 76.83 miles per day(123.65 km). He has about a day and a half lead over second place. He has battled a head cold for a few days now, besides the endless wear and tear on his legs and feet. Yet he remains fluid in running style and brimmimg with determination. He passed the halfway today(1550 miles) in 20 days+02:33:15- the fastest halfway. Thirty-one days remain in the race. Stay tuned..

Ashprihanal Aalto-2500 km-new record -20 days+03:24:14; old record-Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk-20 days+13:26:39(2006)

Ashprihanal Aalto-1600 miles- new record-20 days+14:54:59; old record- Madhupran W. Schwerk-21 days+02:37:28

Ashprihanal Aalto-21 days-new record-1613.4720 miles( 2596.6313 km)-old record Madhupran Schwerk-1587.1296 miles(2554.2373 km)

Race stories

On this auspicious day of July 4 which is called Independence Day for the U.S., the runners are continuing their journey both independently and interdependently. Each runner has their own schedule, their own goals and their own sets of challenges. Yet together they make up a supportive team along with helpers and well-wishers who come there regularly to help them reach their goals. The leader, Ashprihanal, reached the 1600 mile point in record time as a few other runners are closing in on the halfway point. Nine of the eleven runners are still above the average mileage to eventually complete 3100 miles within the time limit.

Race stories

At the start of a new day we see the runners beginning another long day in their journey to the unknown. Being greeted by the sun today, the first clear day in a while, the energy is high and the enthusiasm begins to pick up as they make continuous progress in their own personal journeys. Nearing the end of the third week the runners have become accustomed to this new way of life as the halfway point is fast approaching.

Race Director's updates

Day 20 Five of the Elite Eleven made it past 60 miles today, as the '20 days on the road blues' made a collective sag of energy appear for the first time in the race. Everyone looked a little tired, or more. Except for Galya Balatskyy, who reached 20 straight days with 70 or more miles. Problem is, he could not gain any ground on the Ferocious Finn at the top. Ashprihanal Aalto recorded his eighth straight 70 mile day(71.34). He is less than 12 miles short of halfway, and gained more event records for a growing tableau of impressive performances. Vasu Duzhiy passed Yuri trostenyuk by one lap and moved into third place overall. Surasa Mairer climbed into seventh place overall with a 62.5 mile day. Happy Fourth of July to all!

Ashprihanal Aalto-20 days record- 1538.2864 miles(2475.6318 km)-

old record-Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk-1511.9440 miles(2433.2378 km)-2006

Ashprihanal Aalto-1500 miles record-19 days+08:14:42-

old record-Madhupran W. Schwerk-19 days+15:08:11

Race Director's updates

Day 19 The weather was the runners friend again this morning and afternoon, as clouds obscured the extra warmth of the high sun and breezes cooled the course a bit. But the runners kept moving along. Ashprihanal Aalto padded his lead and garnered more honors by running 77.38 miles. Galya Balatskyy was also marvelous with his 19th straight day over 70 miles. Yuri Trostenyuk moved into third place almost by default as Atmavir Spacil endured another tough day with a balky stomach. More strikingly, Vasu Duzhiy ran 72.44 miles to claim fourth place and come within six laps of third. He has run over 70 miles in eight of the last nine days. Stutisheel Lebedyev rebounded from two rough days to run 66.4 miles, and Surasa Mairer is moving along nicely after another 64.2 mile day.

Baladev Pavol Saraz-1000 miles=18+04:44:03 Atmavir Petr Spacil-1300 miles=18+14:24:37

Yuri Trostenyuk-1300 miles=18+15:16:47 Vasu Duzhiy-1300 miles=18+16:31:54

Ashprihanal Aalto- 19 Days Record-1466.9424 miles (2360.8148 km)-

Old record Madhupran W. Schwerk- 19 days-1439.6096 miles(2316.8269 km)-2006

Race stories

Each runner has their own unique style and form. Depending on their level of energy and strength for that day the runners vary their pace and their schedule to conserve energy while still trying to cover as much distance as possible as late as possible. The following photos demonstrate some of the styles and moods of the runners for this 19th day of the world's longest certified footrace. The moods vary from hour to hour but being happy is one of the key elements to survival in this most challenging of running challenges, no matter what your style or speed.

In this short video Ashprihanal, leader of the race so far, talks about his new shoes and gives a simple answer to a simple question:"What do you think about during this race?"

Race Director's updates

Day 18 It was a little warmer today- 27ºC- but the intrepid runners had some cloudcover and 'nor'easterlies' to keep the air moving. Six of the eleven made past fifty, with three gents flipping seventy miles onto the scoreboards. Vasu Duzhiy climbed to within 10 miles of Yuri Trostenyuk as the scramble for fourth place continued. He reached 70 miles and has set his sights higher still. Galya V. Balatskyy moved the streak along with his 18th consecutive 70 mile day. He also recorded a fine 1300 mile split. Ananda-Lahari Zuscin emerged from the lower depths of the scoreboard to post a solid 61.5 mile day- his best effort since Day 5. Ashprihanal Aalto continued the quest for a historical performance with 77.92 miles. He has widened the gap to second place by 79 miles.

Galya Balatskyy-1300 miles= 17 days+15:36:22 Ananda-Lahari Zuscin-1000 miles=17 days+13:41:28

Ashprihanal Aalto- 18 Day Total- new record 1389.5616 miles(2236.2824 km).

Previous record: Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk-1367.6096 miles(2200.9541 km) 2006.

Race stories

As Galya our second place runner breaks the 1300 mile barrier in under 18 days, which happens to be among the top five fastest times at that distance in the world, life goes on with each runner in their own unique and celebrated ways. Some runners are in recovery mode as they walk and run slowly to gain strength, while others are still breaking the 70 miles barrier almost every day. Regardless of how many miles are completed by midnight each day, all of the runners draw lots of energy from the course, the helpers and all the inner and outer support they get from those who come to offer their time and efforts. Being part of this race is not just the running and walking that these handful of runners do each day, but all of the multifarious activities which happen all around them while they create a uniquely inspired event unparalleled in the sports world arena.

This short video offers a quick look at one of the most important aspects of this race-the Counting Station.

Race stories

Today was an unusual and special day all in one. First the vehicles had to be moved off of the street onto the small courtyard by the sidewalk due to street repairs. Then we saw the two women runners both reach 1000 miles within an hour of each other. Later in the evening Ashprihanal passed 1300 miles for the fastest time for the 1300 mile split time in this race since its inception and third best all time for any 1300 mile event. He is still on world-record pace for 3100 miles.

It was a slow day for some of the runners who occasionally need an easy day to renew their strength. In the following video we see a celebration for Surasa's first 1000 miles. I could not video Kaneenika's celebration due to a camera malfunction, but the photo says it all. She was so grateful to have reached her highest mileage to date and then transcend it for the rest of the race. All the runners were working hard today as everyday, but only a tiny glimpse of those efforts can ever be captured on videos or photos.

https://vimeo.com/132290678

Race Director's updates

Day 17 It was an unusual day right from the start. The Department of Public Works closed the street where our vehicles are parked on the famous 84th Avenue, and ripped apart the road 's complete ashphalt topping, necessitating a short reparking of the vehicles the night before onto the vacant esplanade along the course. The uprooting of their temporaries did not affect the runners very much, as seven of 11 rolled past sixty miles, including three above the 70 line. With heavy machinery whining just to their left, the runners held their ground- Ashprihanal Aalto threw down another 77.3 mile day to break open the race at the top. (See below the results of his race on this day). Atmavir Petr Spacil fell back a little and lost his seventy plus streak. Galya V. Balatskyy held his streak of 17 straight intact with 70.79. Vasu Duzhiy recorded his sixth day over 70 out of the last seven with 71.34. Nirbhasa Magee moved back into sixth place with 60+ miles. Surasa Mairer and Kaneenika Janakova both eclipsed the 1000 mile mark only minutes apart from each other. They each are building a small 'plus miles' zone as the race starts to shorten with each new day.

Ashprihanal Aalto-2000km-16 days+01:51:44 (second fastest in 3100 history). 1300 miles-16 days+15:17:13 (third best all-time, any event)

Ashprihanal Aalto- world best -17 days-1311.6320 miles (2110.8669 km).

Surasa Mairer-1000 miles=16 days+07:47:46

Kaneenika Janakova-1000 miles=16 days+08:13:20