Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race

In all the many years I have chased after Ashprihanal Aalto while he has been running a multi day race I have never ever gotten even close.  Whether it be dashing around a one mile loop in Flushing Meadow or even now while he runs the short easily accessible half mile block in Jamaica Queens. It is not that he is unapproachable, or that he runs too fast (which is still plenty fast for me).  It is just that there is something particularly elusive if not incomprehensible about this 45 year old running phenom from Helsinki. Who will without question set a new record this summer when he completes the Self Transcendence 3100 mile race for the 14th time.

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*editors note*  This does also have to occur before the end of 52 days each summer, so the major portion of the year remains without him endlessly running there.

“I spoke with Shamita yesterday and she did not even know what day it was.” Atmavir is now running the race for the 9th time.  Today is his 8th day on the course and with such an incredibly long road ahead for all the runners, it is very easy to loose track of time. The direction each is going is of course a given…..straight ahead. The obvious simple strategy that Atmavir and nearly everyone else who is running here tries to follow, is to inhabit the moment as much as they possibly can. There is only the precious now.

“It is my 5th time.”  At age 50 Vasu Duzhiy has only been getting better each and every time he runs the 3100 mile race. Last year he surpassed his personal best by almost 3 days. He is one of those incredibly unique individuals who probably looks more at home running around this hard little block in Queens than he does strolling through the forests outside of St Petersburg Russia.

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