This morning when Surasa ran by me she asked if I wouldn’t mind taping a message for her. Of course I considered it a great honor to be able to to record this for all her friends and admirers.
“I have a message for my friends.”
“Dear friends all over the world. I just want to tell you that you don’t have to worry about me. I am really fine.”
“There are other more important things and the world to worry about. For me this is just about missing a few miles, and what is that. Of course it is a new experience for me. Because in my other races, the last 2 were so good.”
“It is a new experience to walk for more than half of the race. But I think new experiences are needed in life. They are good in order to make inner progress. And inner progress is of course what we want to make.”
“So if everything stays like this then I will be able to do more than 3000. I am more than happy about this.”
“So I am not at all disappointed or sad. I really feel happy and peaceful inside. I think this is important. This makes me very happy.”
“But I want to thank you again for all your support. Very soon it will be the end of the race.”
At the start of the race in 2007 Sri Chinmoy spontaneously composed a poem about his beloved 3100 mile race. The runners were standing in front of him. At first he was meditating silently and powerfully and then began to speak these words.
Longest self giving journey
Heaven’s brightest smile
Earth’s proudest embrace
God’s Newest Victory Discovery
Self-Transcendence 3,100-Mile Race Songs
*Click Below to read rest of Report*
The Board
The stillness is growing louder each morning
The street lights are still on
The van arrives
Rupantar recording his video
The same shirt
Getting a back rub
Getting an invitation to the 3100 mile runners translated
*A reprint from June 27th 2013*
Sometime late this morning Yuri Trostenyuk will run past the 731 mile mark.
It is possible that he might not be aware of this special moment when it takes place. Certainly the counter who is carefully writing down all his lap times may not note or understand its significance.
Yet whether it is celebrated, or recognized, or simply just sweeps by in the great cavalcade of newly attained mileage. Today a 49 year old Ukranian runner will have passed one of the great milestones of his running career.
In the great scheme of things it has been his dream just to be here. He has undertaken a great pilgrimage in his life just to make it to the starting line. He has trained long and hard to be fit and ready. He has competed at similar but shorter events to understand just how to focus, how to pace, and how to tolerate pain and fatigue like few mortals ever have to endure.
In a 10 day race more than a year ago he ran 731 miles and then got to sit beside the track and marvel at what he had accomplished. Today, when he passes 731 miles, his journey will in some ways have just begun, for still before him now are many more thousands of miles yet to go.
When I ask him what it means to him to transcend his previous best distance. “It seems like I will go beyond. It is newness. Newness of feelings. Newness of life. Everything is new. Newness of joy.”
Start Day 51
A beautiful morning along the Grand Central
Kaneenika ran 56 miles
Shortly after she passed 3000 miles last night
She starts day 51 with 3017 miles
She will finish early tomorrow afternoon
She has been incredibly courageous and disciplined
A hint and more
It is Irina’s last day
Janos tshirt
168 st
Surasa ran 51 miles
She starts the day with 2921 miles
Surasa late last night
With Vishvarupani
So many support her
Reading jokes
Camp
Oneness Dream-Boat-Shore
“O how I love the smell of papaya in the morning.”
Baladev did 47 miles
He now has 2712 miles
Never give up
Till Tuesday night
Service road
For some the running is over
“Try and take it…….Come on take it…..take it…………..Please”
“this…….This……..THIS…… IS SO MUCH FUNNNNNNN! ”
“Just a short water break and then ………let’s play”
Sopan did 43 miles
He now has 2616 miles
Sopan
By the school
Sanyogita with an empty basket
Ananda-Lahari did 43 miles
He now has 2522 miles
Elvis says, than you very much
“Sorry, what day was that again?”
“The race is over tomorrow, and I am guessing that is the end of the snacks as well ?”
Stutisheel did 36 miles
He now has 2514 miles
So experienced here
A dog break
Performing
Coming through camp
The long long road
Service road
“The 10 day race is not the same.” I have asked Giribhu to compare the 10 day race which she has done 4 times to the 3100.
“I can imagine the 10 day race but here there is so much more. More pain, more everything.”
“I admire the runners very much. Of course I can’t imagine doing this and it is not so far away any more. But still it is far beyond what I have done. It is amazing.”
“I admire Surasa of course. She is a real hero for me and a role model.”
Giribhu describes that she too had physical problems this Spring at the 10 day race. “I had a similar situation. I couldn’t run from the 2nd day on. I had to walk.”
“It is not so easy to inspire yourself and motivate yourself to continue. To try and do your best. Sometimes I thought, I don’t want any more or it is not important any more to do it. Then something comes from inside……no… go…go…try your best. Even if you have pain.”
“She is doing very well. She is always smiling. She looks happy and she is really great.”
Click to Play:
Sahishnu shows a picture of Samunnati who will be running the marathon at the Olympic games
And another
Cooks at the camp
Emily doing some fine tunning
All gratitude to them
Giribhu reads the Daily Poem
Click to Play:
Enthusiasm Awakeners
Click to Play:
Each new experience
Enables us to bring our life
One step closer to God.
Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, Part 30, Agni Press, 2002
Surasa’s video interview really touched my heart. I’m so glad that she is surrendered, positive,happy and at peace. What an incredible effort! Well done.
Thank you Surasa for your interview with Utpal. Its good to hear, see and feel that you are not only happy but at peace. What a Oneness-Heart Warrior you are!!
When will be Shamunnati’s marathon? Gonna be “to sick” for her 🙂
Utpal, thank you for playing Guru’s 2007 message for us. Hope the runners will get to hear it again too. It’s a perfect message not only after Surasa’s interview, but for ALL our hero warriors. Much Gratitude
Samunnati will be running the marathon at the Olympics on August 14.
Thanks, Doris)
and
Thank you, Utpal, for such a great reports! So creative, so inspiring! And same I can say about the whole 3100 mile race performance!))))))))
Love you all, cheers!!!
Thank you to Surasa for the self-giving message. We love your sweetness, equanimity and beauty. You are a real victor in the battlefield of self-transcendence. All gratitude to all who are part of this divine event.