Surasa Mairer

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.

Surasa with new world record
Surasa

Surasa Mairer (born Paula Mairer, March 6, 1959 in St. Justina, Austria ) currently lives in Vienna, Austria.

She is a member of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team and holds the course record for the Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race set in 2015.

Surasa took up running relatively late - aged 28. Despite little background in running, she made rapid progress in ultra distance events. In 1996 and 1997 she won the Sri Chinmoy 700 mile race. In 1999 and 2000 she was winner of the Sri Chinmoy 1,000-mile-run (1600 km) In 2000, Surasa completed the 1000 miler in 14 days 12 hours, the only finisher of that race.

In 2001, she set a new world record at the 1300-Mile-Race (2080 km) in a time of 17 days 21 hours - lowering the 10 year old record of Sandra Barwick from New Zealand by 1 hour 33.

In 2002, Surasa broke two long-standing records for women, setting new world bests at 1000 km (7+16:08:37) and 700 miles (8+15:34:13).

She also holds records for running backwards. Her first marathon backwards was in 2004 at an event called Impossibility Challenger held in Germany near Munich. Her second attempt at a backwards marathon was Iin a time of 6:27:11 in the Munich Mediamarathon in 2005. In 2014 Surasa participated at the 5th World Championship of Retrorunning in Italy and won Gold in the half marathon and bronze in the 100 m.

2015 - Self-Transcendence Race

On 2nd August, 2015, Surasa Mairer broke Suprabha Beckjord’s 17-year old record for 3,100 miles. Her time was 49 days, 7 hours and 52 minutes, averaging around 63 miles per day. She was 56 years old when she broke this record. Speaking after the record she spoke of her gratitude to those who had encouraged her to start and those who had helped put on the race.

“I just want to say that standing here with this record is really hard to believe. It is hard to believe because I had doubts until the beginning of this race. Because I always felt that I was not strong enough. That I am too weak and too tired. But there were always good persons who said, no, no!” “You just have to come to the starting line and everything will be okay. Good that I listened to her. So I registered very very late.” “It is hard to believe because you cannot capture it, because it is all grace. It is all grace, grace, grace, that I could do it at this age (56 years old).
“So what more can I say than gratitude. All gratitude to the great Sri Chinmoy Marathon team, because they are working so hard. Very very hard, and still they are all very nice. I admire this really very much.” (Source) at Perfection Journey

Results

1996 and 1997 - Winner of the 700 mile-run
1999 and 2000 winner of the 1,000-mile-run (1600 km)
2000-2003 winner of the Sri Chinmoy Ultra Trio 1000 Mile Race [1]
2007 winner of the 10-day run in New York (595 miles) [1]
2011 world records in the reverse running of the distances of 5 km, 10 km, half marathon and marathon
2011, 2013, 2015 winner of the women’s Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race. Current women's record holder
2016 - Completed 3,021 miles of 3,100 mile race.

Related

I have to run - at Perfection Journey
Article in German - Roby Shultz

About our members - more articles

About the author:

Suprabha Beckjord (b. 1956, Washington D.C. US) one of the most prolific multi-day distance runners in the world. Between 1997 and 2009, Suprabha completed 13 consecutive editions of the Sri Chinmoy 3100 Mile Self-Transcendence Race. In 1998 she set her fastest time for the distance of 49 days 14:30:54.

Suprabha only began running in the mid 1980s. In 1986, she completed her first multi-day event - a 200 mile race, where she finished as first woman. She then progressed to longer multi-day events, including five day races, seven day races and then the Sri Chinmoy 700, 1000 and 1300 mile races. She finished the 1300 mile race four times (1991-94)

In 1996, Suprabha was one of six people who entered the Sri Chinmoy 2700 Mile Race, setting new records from 1300 miles to 2700 miles. In 1997, she was one of five people who entered the inaugural 3100 Mile Self-Transcendence Race. Suprabha was 2nd in a time of 50 days + 02:09:56.

Between 1997 and 2009, she completed 13 consecutive editions of the Sri Chinmoy 3100 Mile Self-Transcendence Race. A total distance of 40,300 miles in 13 years. (The circumference of the earth is 24,901 miles)

Suprabha Beckjord at finish of 2009 3100 Mile Self-Transcendence Race

Suprabha owns a gift shop "Transcendence-Perfection-Bliss of the Beyond" in Washington, DC. and has been a disciple of Sri Chinmoy for many years.

Spirit of a Runner

A documentary video about Suprabha's efforts to finish the 2008 edition of the race. View bottom of home page for 3100 Mile Race

Quotes

Question: Is finishing this distance a case of mind over matter?

Suprabha B: Not so much the mind as the heart. The mind is so boggled with just the idea of that distance. The mind says you’re tired. I have to go beyond the mind and run this race with my heart, which is full of eagerness and joy. It’s a pilgrimage. I always go inside and meditate. You have to be aware of your surroundings of course, but for me, and for a lot of people, running is a way to quiet your mind a bit, and to feel happy just to be outside. To be outside all summer like that, from 6 a.m. to midnight sometimes, is a special thing.

''I know I can't do this race on my outer strength alone, so I have to draw on my inner strength.'' (Running on Inner Strength at NY Times)

""I get a thrill from being out here, It's a [dream] to be able to achieve a very long distance. It's something we can only accomplish with determination and willpower," (NY Daily News)

Further links

Interview with Suprabha (video)

External links

D C Runner completes longest race - interview
Washingtonian completes 3100 mile race - Washington Post
Suprabha Beckjord at Multidays

View full article »

About the author:

Ashprihanal Aalto is a member of the Sri Chinmoy marathon Team from Finland and a noted ultra-distance runner. He has won the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race on eight occasions, finishing a record 14 editions of the race. Ashprihanal also holds the course record with the quickest ever time of 40 days 09:06:21 (2015)

Ashprihanal was born Pekka Aalto on 27 August 1970 Stockholm, Sweden. He became a student of Sri Chinmoy in his twenties and later received from Sri Chinmoy, his spiritual name “Ashprihanal” After walking long distance trail events such as Appalachian Trail (3,500km) and the Pacific Crest Trail (4,286km), he entered his first major ultra distance races in 1999, finishing third in the Sri Chinmoy Ultra Trio 700 Mile Race in a time of 09:09:10:40.

The next year, 2000, he ran both the Self-Transcendence 10 day race in May (completing 669 miles) and later in the year, the 2000 edition of the Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race. He won at his first attempt in a time of 47:13:29:55. In both 2000 and 2001, he completed in three major ultra-distance races in the same year - the 6 Day Race, the 3100 Mile race and the 700 Mile race. This volume of race miles in a single calender year is unprecedented.

When not running, Ashprihanal works as a courier and delivery man in Helsinki. This enables him to do some training whilst working and also gain the free time necessary to undertake long distance running challenges. He says that because of his past volume of race miles he doesn't need to do very long distance training, but in winter likes to try other sports, such as cycling and skiing to keep fit.

In 2006, the President of Finland, Tarja Halonen, honoured Ashprihanal as an "International Ambassador of Sport"

2015 Record-breaking run

In 2015, Ashprihanal came to the race in good form, well rested and already at race weight (58kg). He went on to break the course record by nearly 24 hours, setting a time of 40 days and 9 hours. Aalto said of that record-setting victory: “It was like an inner journey also. I felt like [I was] doing it for my spiritual teacher [Sri Chinmoy], in memory of him. He once told me, after I finished my first race here, he said, ‘You can do much, much better, so you come next year and break the record.’ I’m very happy that I was able to do it,” (Continue reading)

Interview with Asprihanal

Question: So, first things first, why run such extreme distances?
Asprihanal: "I started off walking long distances, I completed the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail and they are 3,500km and 4,286km long. I heard about multi-day running races and I thought it sounded nice, to run all day and night so I decided to take part. I also do meditation and running long distances is a good way to train your mind."
Continue reading: This guy ran 5,000km around the block at RedBull.com

Personal bests

Marathon 2.57, HCM 1999
12 h 122.8 km, Lohja 2005
24 hours running 217.7 km, Czech Republic 2004
24-hour cross-country skiing 204 km, Vierumäki 2004
6 day race - 457 miles (2003)
10 days - 833 miles (2014)
3100 miles - 40 days 9 hours 6 minutes

Ashprihanal voted best Finnish male ultra runner 2015
Ashprihanal wins 3100 Mile Race in record time - 2015
Self-Transcendence Bliss by Sanjay Rawal

External links

Ashprihanal Aalto finished 3100 Mile race - at Runners World

Multi-day race results

Year - Races    Distance (Miles)    Time (days, hours, mins, sec)    Placing
1999    Sri Chinmoy Ultra Trio 700 Mile Race    700    09:09:10:40     1.
2000    Sri Chinmoy Ultra Trio 700 Mile Race    700    09:09:44:59     1.
2000    Self-Transcendence 10 Day Race           669     10:00:00:00    2.
2000    Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race    3100    47:13:29:55     1.
2001    Self-Transcendence 10 Day Race        349     10:00:00:00    —
2001    Sri Chinmoy Ultra Trio 700 Mile Race    700    09:20:32:29     1.
2001    Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race    3100    48:10:56:12     1.
2002    Self-Transcendence 6 Day Race       422     06:00:00:00    1.
2002    Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race    3100    46:13:27:51     2.
2003    Self-Transcendence 6 Day Race            457     06:00:00:00    1.
2004    Self-Transcendence 6 Day Race             433     06:00:00:00    1.
2004    Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race    3100    46:06:55:11     1.
2005    Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race    3100    49:10:28:49     2.
2006    Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race    3100    43:15:49:33     2.
2007    Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race    3100    43:04:26:32     1.
2008    Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race    3100    44:02:42:15     1.
2009    Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race    3100    43:16:28:06     1.
2010    Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race    3100    46:07:37:24     1.
2011    Self-Transcendence 6 Day Race             467     06:00:00:00    2.
2011    Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race    3100    46:07:37:24     3.
2012    Self-Transcendence 6 Day Race       470     06:00:00:00    2.
2013    Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race    3100    48:16:14:33     3.
2014    Self-Transcendence 10 Day Race 833     10:00:00:00    1.
2015    Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race    3100    40:09:06:21     1.
2016     Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race    3100       46 days    2.