Even before completing the first loop of the track Abhinabha had taken a commanding lead in this years 47 mile race.
Interview:
Susan who was in 2nd place overall would eventually finish more than an hour behind his time of 5:35:49
“This is the 3rd time I have run the 47 mile race, and it is a race unlike any other. It celebrates Sri Chinmoy’s birthday, and it is on a night which is a very special for us.”
“There is something in the air the moment you take off. There is a consciousness, a peacefulness, a joyfulness, that I do not find in any other race. That accompanies you the whole way. At first I approached this as a race. I didn’t have any expectations. I didn’t know if my form was good. I did train for it. So I didn’t have any expectations but I did want to do my best, and do a good time.”
“But when I reached the marathon distance, I saw the banner and it said 47 mile run and it didn’t say 47 mile race. I thought that is the way to approach it. This is a run. It is not a race. I have to enjoy myself and just run, and be happy, and not push myself.”
“I know that if I had pushed myself I wouldn’t have gone any faster and I probably would have burned out. Maybe I would have been frustrated by the time. So I totally took that all out of the window. I didn’t care for time. I didn’t care for anything else. I was just trying to be in a really happy consciousness, while I was running.”
“My first time running this race was my fastest. (5:19) The second time I did it was 2 years ago and I had done the marathon 2 days earlier so that was 5:55 and this one is in the middle.”
Abhinabha of course inspired everyone who was part of the race this year with his powerful performance. “That is always great. I am really grateful that I can play that part, and inspire people.”
“I get tremendous inspiration from all the people cheering me. Every time you come through the finishing shoot there are so many people cheering, and it just lifts you up. And if I can inspire other people with my running then I am just so grateful for that.”
“I had a mantra. We saw a video a couple of nights ago where Sri Chinmoy said, you need to know only one thing. I love my Guru and my Guru loves me. I was chanting that almost the whole way. That was my mantra, my meditation. I felt Sri Chinmoy very strongly.”
“It is great if you can do your very best. I do believe that is also nice. But what it really comes down to is that it is a run. It is not about your time. It is not about being the fastest. There is something higher than that in this race.”
“It is about being in the right consciousness and doing it as a tribute to our Guru.”
Sri Chinmoy Day in New York City
On the morning of 27 August 1978, Sri Chinmoy’s 47th birthday, Queens Councilman Morton Povman came to the track at Jamaica High School to read the proclamation of Sri Chinmoy Day in Queens. Several of the 58 runners who were running 47 miles in honour of Guru’s birthday were still circling the 1 1/4 mile loop as the ceremony took place.
Proclamations were made in all 5 boroughs of New York City this year, making Sri Chinmoy’s 47th birthday the first city-wide Sri Chinmoy Day.
“It is great if you can do your very best. I do believe that is also nice. But what it really comes down to is that it is a run. It is not about your time. It is not about being the fastest. There is something higher than that in this race.”
Well said, it is a RUN.
Thank you Utpal for showing this significant Proclamation-Banner.
Oh my God, in 1978 Guru was 47 years old. All those who were born in 1978 can be proud of.