10 Day Races
In recent years there have been few 10 day races anywhere in the world. The only edition in existence at the moment is the annual event that takes place in Flushing Meadow Park in Queens, New York at the end of April.
History
In the 1996 inaugural Ten Day Race, Georgs Jermolajevs fashioned a victory with 725 miles, but was hard pressed by Dipali Cunningham of Australia, who garnered 723 miles for the ladies. In a smaller field in 1997 veteran Donald Winkley of Corpus Christi,Texas prevailed with 530 miles. In 1998, Istvan Sipos of Hungary escaped with a narrow victory over Georgs Jermolajevs by 670 miles to 669 in a rain-filled ten days. In 1999 Ron Gehl from Ontario,Canada prevailed with 640 miles in the 10-Day race, Lithuania emerged victorious in the Six-day with 517 miles. Elvira Janosi won for the women. In 2000 Rimas Jakelaitis set a new course record of 745 miles in the Ten day, Janosi and again repeated as ladies’ winner. 2001’s races produced amazing results. Rimas Jakelaitis won the Ten Day in an astounding 901 miles, including a remarkable split of 600 miles for six days, only the fifth man this century to reach that plateau. Jakelaitis’ total of 901 miles is the second best total for ten days alltime.
The 10 Day Race moved back to Flushing Meadows Corona Park in 2002. Rimas Jakelaitis repeated again with 701 miles. In 2003, Hubert Muckenhumer of Austria prevailed with 631 miles in the Ten Day, as well as Dorothea Voegeli of Switxerland leading the women with 577 miles.
Rimas Jakelaitis won for the fourth time with 653 miles, holding off the charging Lenka Svecova from Czech republic, who garnered 631 miles. In 2005, Miroslav Pospisek from the Czech Republic won the Ten day with 564 miles, followed by Nataliya Hluschek with 515 miles for the women.
The world's best distances for 10 days on the road are 964 miles (in 1988) by Yiannis Kouros of Australia who was then a Greek national, and 807 miles (in 1991) by Sandy Barwick of New Zealand.
The runners eat, sleep and rest at trackside and receive care around the clock in their efforts to bring forward their best physical capacities. They circle the one mile loop course and often run 20 hours in any given 24 hour period. They are truly pioneers in a sport still obscure to the perceptions of the public. But their stories are told by their feet and their hearts.
The Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team offers its gratitude to the New York City Department. of Parks and Recreation and the staff of Flushing Meadows Corona Park,(Adrian Benepe, Parks Commissioner; Estelle Cooper, Flushing Meadows Park Director; head of Borough of Queens Parks) for allowing this event to happen; to City Councilman James Genarro for his support and assistance; to the courageous runners who are embarking on this journey of self-exploration, to the many SCMT volunteers who give so lovingly of their time, and to the leader and inspiration of all of the SCMT events, Sri Chinmoy himself, who has so strikingly nurtured multiday racing here in New York the past twenty-one years. May all athletes transcend their previous achievements.
- Self-Transcendence 10 Day Race
- Course: 1 mile loop of asphalt paths and park roads
- RD: Rupantar LaRusso
Source
- Sahishnu Szczesiul - History of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team (2006)
