Race Scoreboard Photo Alan Young
The 18th Annual Self Transcendence 10 Day Race 2013 started at noon yesterday, April 17th. 37 runners set out in the worlds only 10 day race at its home in Flushing Meadow Park in Queens, New York.
The course is a flat1 mile loop on asphalt paths and roads near the famous site of the World’s Fair of 1964 and close to the USTA facility, home of the US Open. Yesterdays start was with pleasant conditions although the race is notorious for difficult and challenging weather conditions with temperature extremes between 33º and 90º.
This year, as always, there is a strong international flavor and leading the field at the 18 hour point was Australias Martin Fryer with 87 miles. Second place was Ananda-Lahari Zuscin on 73 miles. In third place was Volodymyr Hlushchuk on 71 miles. Mark Dorion is the leading US runner on 70 miles followed by Fred Davis III in 6th place with 65 miles.
A late entrant into the ladies race sees Shamita Achenbach-König, who ran 700 km in the 6 day race in 1994, in the lead and in second place overall with 74 miles. Ilvaka Nemcova is in second and third is Elena Kareva from Russia on 66 miles.
Every year Utpal Marshall makes the 5 mile trek to the race site and talks to the runners, the crews and the race organisers and shares their experiences through his blog Perfection-Journey. Utpal is a runner himself having run the 47 mile race several times and still runs marathons today. He sent a link to the first story he’s written which is tinged with the sadness of the recent events 200 miles north of Flushing Meadow at the Boston Marathon.
Results will be forthcoming on the Sri Chinmoy Races website on the Self-Transcendence 10 day race home page
Utpal Marshall’s Perfection-Journey
From Multidays.com, post Self Transcendence 10 Day Race 2013 – Update 18 Hours – Fryer Leads