Each of the 12 runners here has their own unique vision of what the race means to them and their own distinct voice in expressing what it is they see and feel and experience here. Building this vision and this story with each new lap and each new day they run around the course.
Every word or thought that they might share has incredible value and potency. Already each runner has run close to, or already exceeded 700 miles.
https://vimeo.com/131908487
This is the 7th time Baladev has run the 3100 mile race. This morning he has been singing some of Sri Chinmoy’s songs. He carries an mp3 player often, “I am listening a lot. When you sing you need to use more energy. You need to be in the mood to sing. But I am listening often during the whole day.”
“Sometimes I am listening to a song and I feel as though it is inside me. You are the song. When you feel that you are the song, it is amazing.”
“Without music there is no life. Music is like water. Without water we cannot live. The same is music. The earth doesn’t exist without music. The answer is easy. Water, music, everything is God, and we cannot live without him. Everything is simple.”
“Running is special because all parts of our being must cooperate together when we like to go forward.”
“There are many, many, many parts inside of us, If they are not working together…..how can we run?”
“It is not a race it is an inner journey. Everybody has a journey.”
Surasa had another good day yesterday.
Vasu did 72 miles yesterday.
Checking the phone
Behind closed doors.
Time is short.
Last little bit of rest.
Start Day 13
A big beautiful sky and a great day to run.
Ananda-Lahari has 672 miles.
Off the beaten path.
Surasa had another good day with 62 miles. She has 715 miles
Make the turn
Kaneenika had 61 miles and has 717 miles
Stutisheel had 50 miles yesterday. He has 753 miles total for 12 days.
Nirbhasa had 59 miles yesterday.
There are lots of kids on the course this morning
Nirbhasa venturing ever further into new territory has 770 miles.
It is so, so far.
Grahak had 68 miles yesterday. He has 807 miles.
There are no barriers
It definitely wasn’t me. I am pretty sure you must be thinking of my cousin Bob. He is the one who really likes to dig up people’s flowers.
Vasu had a terrific day with 72 miles. It was the most miles run on day 12.
Enjoying a moment with Stutisheel.
He has 811 miles.
It takes all kinds
Yuri dealing with traffic. He has 840 miles. He ran 68 miles yesterday.
Upside down
Galya on the phone
He had another superb 71 miles yesterday. He has 883 miles.
Happiness clearly not too hard to find
Atmavir also had a big day with 70 miles.
Ashprihanal had a slow day yesterday. He ran 59 miles.
He has 925 miles
Nearly 2 weeks have passed.
Pratibha is one of the early counters this morning. “You can come out year after year and you write down the laps. But the actual reality of what the runners are doing is almost unbelievable. You see it. You come week after week. The miles are building up. But what does it actually take to go step by step. You can never exactly understand what they are going through.”
“It is amazing to me because life goes on and it is almost 2 months later and they are still here. What does that mean? What have they been through? What has their journey been? It is just mind blowing.”
Pratibha says that when she reads actual interviews with the runners she gets a better sense of what is going on.
The race has been going on for 19 years, she says, “I think I started counting right from the start.”
“I can see the goal of the runners and it is not an athletic goal. It is more of how their spiritual lives come into practice. When you are actually doing something step by step, day after day. They must be pulling on something, really really deep.”
“I think over the years I can see a joy factor that seems to be growing. The runners seem to have developed this real oneness with each other. Because probably only they can probably comprehend what’s going on.”
“You know, from what we have learned from Sri Chinmoy. Anyone doing anything of self transcendence and anything positive. It affects a vast realm around them. You can never grasp the importance. Sri Chinmoy put so much importance on this race. Whenever you come here, even as a counter, you feel something.”
“People are going way way beyond their capacity, and you can’t do it without a real spiritual life.”
“All I know is that it is tremendously difficult, and you can’t even face something like this without having some connection between yourself and something higher and more meaningful. You can’t even take the first step. So I feel as though I am actually watching people practice their spirituality in such a tangible way. I just know that I am watching amazing achievements on a daily basis.”
Click to Play Interview:
Poem of the day
Click to Play:
Enthusiasm Awakeners
Click to Play:
The outer journey ends —
The inner journey
Has neither beginning
Nor end.
Hi Utpal
thank you
Aloha Utpal,
Thank you very much for your wonderful devoted work.
By the way there is a little mistake by the picture of Yuri.
Yuri has 840 not 540 miles.
🙂