Day 27, Sri Chinmoy 3,100 Mile Race

School's out, and Andrea is recovering.

Using a small, compact loop for a multi-day race offers many advantages. The small 0.5488-mile loop around Thomas Edison High School provides runners with regular food, drinks, medical support, and moral support from the race crew. Each runner has their own allocated rest area at trackside in one of the event's caravans or RVs (Recreational Vehicles) — camper vans, as they are known in Europe.

The loop is in a relatively quiet suburban area of Queens and offers, for most of the day, clear sidewalks (or pavements, as they are called in Europe), allowing the runners to take a relatively free running line on the course. It is not like a local park or big-city road race, which may have a road or park closure in place allowing runners free rein on the route. Being held on public sidewalks means the runners need to co-exist with other users of the route.

For most of the day, this is fine. However, one major disadvantage is that the loop circles Thomas Edison School, and five days a week in term time, several hundred students enter and leave the school twice a day. It offers an interesting little cameo sideshow to the race, but also a considerable short-term obstacle to the runners, who have to weave in and out of the students. Many of the students are indeed respectful of the runners and have their own vague idea of the huge challenge they are undertaking. You sometimes notice them making a conscious effort to give the runners space. However, some, engrossed in their phone screens or the enthusiasm of the moment, walk three or four abreast across the entire sidewalk, chatting away about their own breaking news of the day, totally oblivious that a runner is closing in on 2,000 miles and a possible national record. By weaving in and out of the students, the runners add extra distance to the accurately measured course, which, of course, is measured along the "shortest line."

Some runners consciously take one of their short daily breaks around this time to minimise the disruption to their day. Others see it as a welcome, temporary distraction, helping another hour speed by.

The runners, to coin a phrase, "take it all in their stride." They know that, like everything else the race throws at them, it is something to be dealt with as calmly as possible, with minimal drama — in a few minutes, "this too will pass," and the course will be clear again, and peace will return.

- Tarit Stott

Radu passes 1,800 miles in the rain.

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Whilst the race can be hectic and wet, it can also be beautiful. In fact variation throughout the day is a feature of the race. This was from early yesterday morning. A beautiful school welcomed the runners.

Race updates

• Race leader Andrea seems to be battling through his sickness and recorded 60.3 miles. We hope he hasn't been too worried about losing distance to second-placed Radu, and isn't trying to do too much, too soon, as he bounces back from his little setback. He finished the day on a total of 1,879.3 miles.
• Radu, with another solid 64.7 miles, finished the day on 1,804.8, closing the gap on Andrea by another 4 miles. In reality, he is still 75 miles behind Andrea and is just running his own race.
• Annabel Hepworth, with 61.9 miles, continues to look strong and now has a total mileage of 1,723.0 miles.
• Wei Ming Lo had the second-highest mileage of the day behind Radu, with 63 miles, taking his total to 1,716.5 miles.
• Vasu, after a slow start in the morning, ran his usual strong evening session, right up to midnight, to finish with 60.8 miles for the day.
• Nayaja Perugini, seemingly in a very good routine just now, nailed another 61-mile day and now has 1,623.8 miles.
• Nina, after three solid days, fell back to a 43.8-mile day.
• Ananda-Lahari, also struggling with mild sickness, still managed to complete 42.2 miles. He and Stutisheel (with 44.9 miles) are closing in on 1,300 miles, which they should reach on Saturday.

"I shall forever remain a pilgrim, on the self-transcendence road."

— Sri Chinmoy

 

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