“It’s coming close to the end.” I don’t think I have ever seen Sopan this happy in the past 51 days. This morning however he has a great reason to be having such joy that it can bring additional light up into the sky. He is just a few laps away from 3,000 miles and now less than 2 days from completing the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race.
It is never a foregone conclusion that this would happen nor is it ever so for even the most gifted of runners. The race will always challenge you, and humble you, and nurture you in ways you could never dream.
It was 13 years ago as a young person of 25 that he set the record for the youngest runner to ever run the race. In the great gap in between he has not always been granted the gift of completing the distance.
Tomorrow however it will most certainly be his personal victory. A victory over adversity which dogged his heels for many days and yet could not contain his will to succeed. Or perhaps it is just the light within declaring that this summit of transcendence he has justly earned. A goal he surrendered all of himself, to the higher force within, in order to attain.
When asked if he was ever worried, “you never know until the end. Anything can happen. But you have to have faith in order to make it. You cannot doubt yourself all the time and make it.”
“You have to believe. You have to believe that you can make it. That is your very first step.”
“I have gotten physically stronger. It is possible because as you grow spiritually stronger it also makes you physically stronger. I had some difficulties about 10 days ago and I felt that this made me stronger.”
“Even on the worst days everything just worked out. That is the whole magic about the race. It feels as though there is always a guiding and protecting force. Things just work out one way or another.”
Sopan is happy of course that the finish line is getting very close. He hopes to try and continue and maintain the inner experience that he felt here this year. He wants to build upon it.
He says disconnecting from the race is unavoidable. “But the inner cry always remains. For me this race is all about the transformation of nature. This remains, it doesn’t go away.”
When asked about Sri Chinmoy, the founder of the race, Sopan says, “I don’t feel his physical presence. But I feel that he is spiritually present here. His spiritual force is more alive than ever. The spiritual force, the inner presence, for me is much more important than the physical.”
The Board at the Start of Day 51…*Note totals may not be accurate…The Magic Number is 2,980*
The camp early
The weather will be very difficult for the next 2 days
The moon placidly looks down
William arrives
Ushika’s table
The clock
Surasa arrives
Rupantar does his video
Kaneenika arrives
Smarana reads
The girls
Konstantin makes ice bags
His last morning
The girls
A smile that says it all
The Start of Day 51
Beautiful but hot and humid
Ushika ran 61 miles
He now has 3073 miles
A great achievement
Featured in the biggest newspaper in Austria
At 1:30 he will pass through the arch one last time
Gratitude for the Enthusiasm-Awakeners
Max shows a letter from home
Silouhette
A great accomplishment
Chocolat
Alan and Aharan
Danny
Surasa ran 58 miles
She now has 3002 miles
With Vasuprada
Drying her shoes
She has 98 miles more to run
Flower
Decorating
Atandra leading
Sopan did 60 miles
He now has 2984 miles
He has 116 more miles
Flower
Self-Transcendence
Kaneenika did 58 miles
She now has 2982 miles
With Leelavatee
She has 118 more mile to go
About to reach 3000 miles
Gratitude
She will finish before midnight tomorrow
Flower
Konstantin making ice bags
Sahishnu checking his data
William did 55 miles
He now has 2834 miles
Getting an ice pack
With Alan
“What do Alexander the Great and Winnie the Pooh have in common? …..THE…..”
An amazing journey
Flower
Having a laugh
Smarana did 54 miles
He now has 2822 miles
Doing his best
Flower
The place to be
Ananda-Lahari did 62 miles
He now has 2756 miles
Just 2 days more
Flower
Vasu giving inspiration
Teaching others
Swamiji
“Who doesn’t like sunflower seeds for breakfast.”
Day 51
Sumanas and Suradhuni’s spiritual name anniversary
Poem of the Day read by Suradhuni
Click to Play:
Enthusiasm-Awakeners
Click to Play:
Believe in your impossible dreams,
Believe!
You are bound to succeed.
Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 20, Agni Press, 2001
Amazing to hear such confidence and surety in every single answer of Sopan’s. I love it, so inspiring. Thank you!
Thank you Utpal for all your amazing work during the race. Very happy for Sopan finishing tomorrow. Ushika great first race, hope he will come next year again…
Wonderful interview! 🙂