About the author:

Rupantar has been the race director of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team since 1985, having been asked by Sri Chinmoy to serve in that capacity. As well as working on the big races the US Marathon Team organise each year - the 3100 Mile Race and the Six and 10 Day Race - he also spends a considerable amount of time archiving the Marathon Team's 40 year history on this website.

For people who happen to be fans of both the New York Times daily crossword puzzle and the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race (we know you're out there!) the January 17, 2018 puzzle was a double treat.

The Times ran a short article going through some of the clues of that puzzle. The clue for 27 across was 'Marathon leader'. As co-puzzle author (and NYT crossword debutante) Alan Southworth relates, he was wondering if people unfamiliar with ultramarathoning would get the answer (Ultra). Looking into the matter, he came across the the 3,100 Mile Race which has been the subject of much discussion ever since. The photo in the article shows Yolanda Holder en route to completing the race in her inaugural effort in 2017, the first person to do it solely by walking. The Times ran a lengthy profile of Yolanda in July, which you can read here...

For more on the 3100 Mile Race, you can always visit the homepage...

Cross-posted from us.srichinmoyraces.org