About the author:
Tejvan organises short-distance running and cycling races for the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team in his home city of Oxford. He is also a very good cyclist, having won the National hill climb championships in 2013 and finished 3rd in the National 100 Mile Time Trials in 2014.
On day 18 the two leading runners Andrea and Ashprihanal both passed 2,000km with a daily total of over 74 miles, an impressive mileage for this point in the race. Stutisheel maintains his impressive week with another 65+ day. The top two women are also very close, Susan Marshall managed another 63 miles drawing level with Huang Lan Yang - both are now on 1110.7 miles.
Kaneenika Janakova is battling through some physical discomforts but successfully passed the 1,000 mile mark. (See video in slideshow). Ananda-Lahari is forecast to pass the mark today.
Report from day 18 Every Day is Special!
Every day on the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race course is a special day. Every minute, every hour is a blessing, as these runners extend themselves to their max—beginning at 6:00 in the morning and continuing on until midnight, past the evening time to retire for most. The runners continue for up to 52 days, as they push through their own physical, mental and emotional challenges, while navigating the environmental uncertainties which are out of their control.
Today, however was especially special as an honorary Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run team member, His Excellency Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, former freedom fighter, plus President and Prime Minister of East Timor, participated in a ceremonial lap around the course. By his infectiously cheerful and optimistic demeanour, one would never know the struggles that “elder brother” Maun Boot Xanana, as he is affectionately called, endured as he led his people to independence. After centuries of occupation by foreign powers, with fearless courage and determination, the East Timorese fight for independence came to victorious fruition in 1999.
Having participated in a historic 2013 event, where a prayerful statue of Sri Chinmoy – a peace-dreamer who founded both the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team and Peace Run – was installed at the entrance to the Timorese Parliament, it was a great honour for me to meet with Maun Boot Xanana, here in New York—this time at our headquarters.
Maun Boot Xanana, who was determined to complete the lap on his own, was accompanied by several of his colleagues, officials of the g7+ Intergovernmental Organization, along the 3100-mile course. HE Xanana is also the founder of g7+, whose mission is to advocate for the voice of “fragile”, conflict-affected countries, to be heard and for the countries, which now number 20, to work together and address the issues that are at the root of their common fragility.
- By Lunthita Duthely
(from left to right) Helche Silvester, Media Officer, g7+ ; Salil Wilson, Peace Run Executive Director; Lunthita Duthely, Peace Run Coordinator (US); H.E. Xanana Gusmão; Harashita Sunaoshi, Peace Run Asia-Pacific Director ; Eulalia “Lia” Serpa, Executive Assistant, g7+ General Secretariat; Dr. Agraha, Sri Chinmoy Centre International Liason; Dr. Helder da Costa, General Secretary of the g7+ Secretariat; Ashirvad Zaiantchick, Peace Run Coordinator, Brazil; Nikolaus Drekonja, Peace Runner (Photo by Dhanu)
(top 2 photos Lunthita, bottom photo: Dhanu
Photos by Alakananda
SCMT videos at Vimeo
SCMT at Instagram
More about: