“I have no expectations, it is all the Supreme’s grace.” Sopan humbly answered to my congratulations this morning on his great achievement thus far in the race. “I feel that there is a force that makes everything work out. I just try my best.”
“My first race was 2005, 13 years ago, quite a while ago.” He says that in some ways the race was different when Sri Chinmoy the founder of the race was still with us and in some ways it hasn’t changed.”
He says that both Ananda-Lahari, Smarana and he were fortunate to have the privilege of participating in the race when Sri Chinmoy would spend so much time there encouraging all the runners. “Sri Chinmoy used to be the most regular visitor here. He would come at least 4 times a day.” Sopan describes how he would bring treats for them and even play music in the same spot that the Enthusiasm Awakeners sing each day.
“Back in the day Ashprihanal and I used to run together at night. Somehow we would be filled with energy at night. We used to have fun, tell jokes, have a good time. So one night, usually runners are tired, but we were having a really good time. Running, joking, laughing loudly.”
“Then Sri Chinmoy drove by with the window of the car open. He was excited, so happy to see us. We were running at good speed and laughing. He was so happy and he blessed us.” Sopan’s eyes widen and he makes the all so familiar gesture that Sri Chinmoy would so often do. The hand gently rising up and down and made the sound he so often used to encourage his students, ‘Baaah, Baaah, Baaah.
“He really appreciated our enthusiasm.”
“Now at the race you have to be more spiritual. You have to really surrender your problems. Sri Chinmoy had this special capacity to draw your problems. He had this smile, with it he had the capacity to draw all our problems away. Now we have to consciously work on surrender. This is the main difference between the race then and now. But in a way this makes the race more spiritual. Now you have to be able to offer up your problems within yourself.”
Came the moment this morning when it was time for me to leave the race. I went into the van where I had left all my gear and found Sopan there quietly working on the blisters on his feet. I sat across from him on the opposite bunk and talked with him for a short while. Curious how his feet were holding up now well into his 30th day of running on them.
He said that they were fine but now that he was walking more it was creating new problems for his feet which have so far taken him 1759 miles. Sopan was calm, quiet, and methodical. There was no hurry and there was no rush. He like all the runners have to continually do everything right. Sopan after all does still have almost 1400 miles more to go.
Asked about his performance thus far he is grateful for this opportunity he has been given now for the 7th time. He said that for him though the numbers were not to be chased after or pursued. The race was all about the inner experience.
Bonus interview with Sandhani from last night
Weather advisory
The Board at the Start of Day 30 *Numbers may not be accurate… The magic number is 1728 miles*
Camp early
Vajra and Kobi
William comes
Karabi gets ready to count
Surasa arrives
Rupantar does the video
Laila is here already to greet Kaneenika
Surasa works on her shoes
Vajra leaves
Ushika puts on oil
Vasu comes
William checks the mileage update
Ananda-Lahari opens his bag
Kaneenika puts on her shoes
Start of Day 30
The day will get much hotter
Vasu did 63 miles
He now has 2014 miles
He leads Kobi by 47 miles
When he passed 2000 miles he beat his personal best by 2 hours and 37 minutes
Washing shoes
Flower
Kobi did the most miles yesterday with 64
He starts the day with 1967 miles
In the morning he makes 2000 miles. 1000 miles further than he has gone before.
Oscar his crew chief
Flower
Sopan did 60 miles
He now has 1759 miles
He leads Ushika by 6 miles
Green
Ushika did 61 miles
Receiving the Daily Poem
He now has 1753 miles
He leads Surasa by 10 miles
Flower
Surasa ran 59 miles
She now has 1743 miles
Flower
Kaneenika ran 61 miles
She now has 1696 miles (32 miles off the pace)
Shoe repair with Laila
Just needs to remain consistent
A great competitor
Flower
William did 54 miles
Now has 1672 miles
Wanted to tell a joke about the curvature of the earth but could find no point
Alan pouring a medicinal beverage for William
Flower
Smarana did 55 miles
He now has 1670 miles
Progress is his mantra
Flower
Ananda-Lahari did 48 miles
He now has 1612 miles
It is day 30
Flower
Swamiji
Flower
“Nope things definitely do not look better on this side of the fence.”
Sahishnu readies to update the board
Stota and Daulot read the daily Poem
Click to Play:
Enthusiasm Awakeners
Click to Play:
No more delay
In my heart’s spiritual progress —
No more, no more!
Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 30, Agni Press, 2002
Who is the winner? Not he who wins, but he who has established his cheerful oneness with the result, which is an experience in the form of failure or success, a journey forward or a journey backward.- Sri Chinmoy
Please tell Kaneenika I am praying and praying for her! I know that she can and will do it!
Sopan’s words touched me so deeply today. Now more than ever we must offer our problems, and surrender.
Thank you to all of the runners, and thank you Utpal for these daily interviews. I play them for the people at the centre and they inspire everyone!
Tears flowing watching the videos
Being for some minutes part of the Race
To the Race with all its miracles and experiences
Upward flying high above the yesterday’s standard
Full of Gratitude
To the artist offering the gift
To the runners, able to share experience-treasures
To the One who brought us all into this play
Gratitude
Ongoing gratitude for the priceless wisdom coming from the runners, the excellent fruits of self-transcendence, which we are all sharing in! Deeply grateful, we are being carried through the summer with daily upliftment.