Date:    Thu, 16 Aug 2007 17:33:56 -0600
From:    "Dorion, Mark G" <markd@UTEP.EDU>
Subject: 3100 Mile Results & Report/ Amazing Performances

    SELF-TRANSCENDENCE 3100 MILE
    Jamaica, Queens, NY          June-August, 2007
    --World's longest certified footrace

    -------------------

    1.   Asprihanal Pekka Aalto, 36, FINLAND             43 days+
4:26:32 (daily average 71.9 mi)
    2.   Ayojan Stojanovich, 44, SERBIA                     46 +
2:46:35
    3.   Pranab Vladovic, 31, SLOVAKIA                     46 +  
14:02:54
    4.   Smarana Puntigam, 36, AUSTRIA                   48 +  4:13:54
    5.   Ananda Lahari Zuscin, 32, SLOVAKIA             49 + 16:58:56
    6.   Grahak Cunningham, 30, AUSTRALIA             50 + 3:02:26
    7.   Stutisheel Lebedev, 37, UKRAINE                   50 + 14:xx
    8.   Pranjal Milovnik, ___________                        52 +
7:01:32
    9.   Petr Spacil, 29, CZECH.                                52 +
12:54:08
    10.  Abichal Watkins, 46, WALES                        55 + 3:47:10
    11.  (1W) **Suprabha Beckjord, 51 USA                 58 + 7:54:27  
(daily avg. 53.2 mi.)
     (12 starters)
--------------

   Amazing Performances:

    The USA's Suprabha Beckjord finished this race for the 11th
straight time.  She has a long, illustrious ultra career dating back 25
or so years, with PRs such as 460 miles for 6 days, sub-50 day efforts
at the 3100 mile, etc.
    Both in USA and international running publications Supra. gets nods
annually for some of the more impressive women's performances of the
year.

    A QUESTION for ultrarunners reading this:  How many of us will run
3,100+ miles in a YEAR in training?  Has anyone ever tried to run
back-to-back days (in a race or in training) of 60-70 miles? Yet these
runners did this day after day (no days off) for 40-60 days.  They had
many compelling individual reasons for taking on the challenge of the
world's longest footrace.

    Helsinki's globetrotting ultrarunning ambassador, Asprihanal Pekka
Aalto, ran his fastest time ever after several previous finishes at the
3100 mile.  Back in early May, Aalto ran 505 miles and left US runners
John Geesler, Serge Arbona and this author in the dust at the NY 6 Day
race in Flushing Meadows Park.
  His 43 day 4 hour time is the third fastest ever on the 3100 mile
course, behind two efforts of Germany's legendary Wolfgang Schwerk.  
This summer, while the above 11 runners battled the concrete,
slightly-less-than 1Km loop around Edison High School and Joe Austin
Park in Queens, Schwerk was logging 627+ miles at the Erkath, Germany 6
day, one of the greatest 6 days ever run.

  I joined the 3100 mile for a weekend in late July and had a fun,
positive, educational experience.  I put in 90 miles over two long days
on the loop yet was regularly lapped by the sub-9:00/ mile pace of some
of the speedier athletes (I also ran a 2 mile and 10Km race that same
week).  A lengthier account of my experience, conversations with the
runners, and observations should hopefully appear in upcoming ultra
publications such as MULTI-DAY RUNNING, ULTRA WORLD RUNNING,
ULTRARUNNING, etc.

  Sam Shaw's very literary account of this event appears in the current
(August 2007) HARPER'S magazine.

  For any ultrarunners wanting a well-supported, good long run effort
in late summer, the superbly-organized, enthuastic SCMT organizers put
on a lovely marathon around Rockland Lake in upstate Westchester, New
York on August 24.

 ***You may also access official 3100 mile results, race summaries, and
great action photos at:    www.srichinmoyraces.org

     OR:        www.multidays.com

All best wishes to ultrarunners everywhere,

Mark Dorion