Category: Self Transcendence

Impossibility Challenger 2016

Impossibility Challenger is an event organised by members of the Sri Chinmoy Centre, where individuals are given the opportunity to test themselves in seeking to transcend their own limitations. During the event, individuals or groups of people can choose any number of challenges which inspires them to seek their own self-transcendence. This can be either to set a new personal best or try to set a new world record.

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This year event was held in Berlin, Germany. During the weekend there was a varied collection of events – ranging from attempts to run the fastest 100 metres whilst wearing flippers – to reciting an entire poetry book. Continue reading “Impossibility Challenger 2016”

Adriano’s account of swimming the English Channel

In a recent book, Adriano Passini from Brazil explains the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of successfully swimming the English Channel at his first attempt.

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For Adriano Passini the English Channel was a life-long dream, though one that seemed out of reach. After studying meditation with Sri Chinmoy, he gained a new belief and confidence that it would be possible.

In this book, he shares the joys and hardships of his two-year-journey of preparation and finally completion.

Short extracts from book

adriano-english-channel-760“I feel that one of the greatest challenges for a person is to control their own mind. One main aspect of the spiritual life is to bring the mind and the senses under control in order to reach the ultimate goal: complete oneness with our “Inner Pilot,” the soul or God. This is not something that we will be able to achieve within a few weeks, months or years. It may take many incarnations of spiritual discipline to achieve this goal.” Continue reading “Adriano’s account of swimming the English Channel”

The inspiration to organise a triathlon

Recently, the UK Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team organised the fourth Sri Chinmoy ‘Tri a Triathlon‘. It is billed as ‘the perfect beginner’s triathlon’ and is very popular with people, wishing to give the triathlon a go – often for the first time.

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The multi-disciplined event requires a team of over 40 volunteers, responsible for helping to marshal and time the swim, cycle and run sections. The main organisers are Garga and Kokila Chamberlain, who became inspired to organise a triathlon from a brief comment, Sri Chinmoy made several years ago.

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Organisers, Kokila and Garga giving a pre-swim briefing.

Continue reading “The inspiration to organise a triathlon”

Flying Aalto wins 3100 Mile Race in record time

Ashprihanal Aalto, 44, from Helsinki Finland won the 19th Annual Self-Transcendence Race in a new world record time of 40 days+09:06:21.

He set a new record for the 3100 Mile Race – taking 23 hours, 10 minutes off the record held by German legend Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk.

During the 3100 mile race Mr. Aalto averaged 76.776 miles per day (123.559 km). This is equivalent to running nearly three marathons a day – consecutively for over 40 days.

3100 mile race

At the end of his epic race, Ashprihanal was greeted on the line by the other runners, helpers and spectators who came along to see this historic event. Continue reading “Flying Aalto wins 3100 Mile Race in record time”

Successful Channel Swim

On the 27th of July, Adriano Passini completed the 43rd successful English Channel crossing by a member of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon in a time of 11 hours 10 minutes. It was the first successful crossing by a Brazilian member of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team.

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Adriano began his swim in the very early hours of the morning at 02:37. Conditions proved to be a mixture of warm sea temperatures, rain, mist, and thunderstorms. Adriano had to also contend with jellyfish and large sea vessels. However, as he approached the French coast, 11 hours later, weather conditions became favourable. Adriano was supported by a dedicated boat and his two main helpers Ashirvad Zaiantchick and Karteek Clarke (a veteran of 10 channel crossings himself) – his helpers proudly mentioned that Adriano never complained, but cheerfully stuck to the task in hand.

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Adriano swimming the channel

Adriano has been dreaming of achieving this swim for the past couple of years. Recently, he has competed a few long swims in preparation; this included the Zurich Lake Self-Transcendence Marathon Swim, a 26km race organized by the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team.

Sri Chinmoy encouraged his students to swim the channel, saying it offered a great challenge for individual self-transcendence.

“The English Channel frightens the human body.
The English Channel challenges the human vital.
The English Channel puzzles the human mind.
The English Channel invites the human heart.
The English Channel treasures the human soul.
” [1]

– Sri Chinmoy Continue reading “Successful Channel Swim”

Samunnati wins Belfast Marathon with new course record

Samunnati Natalia Lehonkova, a member of the Sri Chinmoy Centre in Ukraine, won the Belfast Marathon in a time of 2:36:50, a personal best and a new course record.

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It is the latest in a string of marathon victories, having won in Edinburgh and Toulouse within the past year. Over 17,000 people took part in the Belfast marathon this year.

Samunnati is a frequent participant in the World Harmony Run, a torch relay event that travels the globe carrying a message of international friendship and understanding. She has been part of the international team for many European runs and in 2008 she joined the team in Australia as it circumnavigated the entire continent. The below photograph shows her carrying the Torch during a 2012 run in the Czech Republic.

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More news on Belfast marathon:

6 and 10 day race 2013

Every year the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team promote the Self-Transcendence 6 and 10 day road race in Flushing Meadows, New York. The race was founded by Sri Chinmoy, a keen advocate of long-distance running. This epic race gives runners and helpers a chance for self-transcendence and attain new heights of physical, mental and spiritual endurance.

Results and links at US Sri Chinmoy Races

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The start of the 10 day race

Photos by Prabhakar,
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Videos from 6-10 day race

Day 2 of the Six Day Race

More 6-10 day race videos

In addition to the many runners, there is a whole team of helpers, counters, cooks, medical staff and volunteers who help to manage the running of the race. The race is documented by photographers, writers and videographers, including:

Perfection Journey – Utpal’s blog

It is Monday afternoon and the one mile loop of the Self Transcendence races is alive with movement. Some like Alex Swenson are running with such strength and poise that I have to remind myself that he has been here now for more than 24 hours and has already completed 116 miles in that time. Continue reading.

6 and 10 day race at Perfection Journey

Arpan’s Race blogs

On Tuesday night, around midnight, the Ten Day runners have completed six and a half days. So they are over halfway done with only three and a half days to go to the finish line. The Six Day runners have completed two and a half days and are closing in on their halfway point in 12 hours. They also only have three and a half days as runners of both races have the same finishing time, Saturday, April 27 at 12:00 Noon.

Now that all of the runners have experienced the ‘thrill’ of staying on their feet and moving forward at various speeds most of the day and night, day after day and night after night, they all have their own interpretations of what this unusual experience is like to them.

I am particularly interested in the experiences expressed by the first-timers who have never had this kind of experience before. Nirbhasa Magee, a computer programmer from Dublin, Ireland, has run marathons for many years and even completed a 24-Hour race recently. But this is his first time at a multiday race. He is running the Ten Day race and had completed five and a half days already when I asked him what the high points and low points of the race was to him so far. He had completed 295 miles by the halfway point, which was noon on Monday. This is an average of almost 60 miles per day so far which is quite good for a first time multiday runner..

6 and 10 day blogs by Arpan

 

 

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Samunnati Wins Toulouse International Marathon

Samunnati Nataliya Lehonkova of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team won the Toulouse International Marathon in France on October 29th. Amidst extreme weather conditions including a temperature of 3 degrees Celsius, she set a new personal best in a time of 2.38:22.

Samunnati hails from Ukraine and is the fastest female runner in the international Sri Chinmoy Centres. Earlier this year she won the marathon in Edinburgh, Scotland. When running she tries to invoke spiritual energy to help her in the race. Samunnati says she is inspired by Sri Chinmoy’s deep love of running.

Successful Gibraltar Straits Crossing

Vasanti Niemz, a two time English Channel swimmer and ultra-triathlete from the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team Germany, has recently swum across the Gibraltar Straits, the body of water separating Spain from Morocco

Vasanti (right) and her assistant Albena hold the Peace Torch after a succesful crossing.

Vasanti Niemz, a two time English Channel swimmer and ultra-triathlete from the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team Germany, has recently swum across the Gibraltar Straits, the body of water separating Spain from Morocco. Vasanti completed the 14K (8.7 mile) swim under favourable conditions in 5 hours and 25 minutes. She was assisted by Albena Margaritowa from Edinburgh. Vasanti’s Gibraltar crossing was a dream come true. She dedicated the swim to the 25th anniversary of the World Harmony Run, a global Torch relay for peace founded by Sri Chinmoy.

The swim bridged the continents of Europe and Africa

 

Sri Chinmoy Cycling Challenge 2012 in Europe

The Sri Chinmoy Cycling Challenge is an opportunity for people to get involved in a global cycling challenge and log their efforts to target a specific cycle distance. In July/August 2012 members of the Sri Chinmoy Centre in Europe organized four cycling events to inspire people to cycle more. The first event was the 27-Hour Cycling Relay on 21/22 July in Serbia, organized by Nikhad. Cycling started at 7:00 on Saturday and went on over the night and until 10:00 am next day. There were 13 participants, nine of them were cycling in Nish, two in Belgrade and two in Leskovac. Total distance covered was 1246 km and the longest distance was done by Nikhad Pavlovic with 288km.

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The next event, a 12-Hour Cycling Relay, happened on August 5, 2012, in Sofia, Bulgaria, and was organized by Hrishikesh. Four participants totalled 366 km. The most successful participant was Radko Popinski who cycled 140km. On the same day there was another cycling event, The Self-Transcendence Triathlon on Divljan lake in Serbia, organized by the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team Nish. Besides Serbian sportsmen, the event attracted quite a few participants from Bulgaria. A total of 19 athletes competed in two disciplines: the Olympian (1.5km/40km/10km) and sprint triathlon (0.7km/20km/5km). The winner in the Olympic category was Igor Jovanovic from Nish, Serbia; in the sprint category the winner was Branimir Djuricic from Jagodina, Serbia.

The fourth event was the 27-Hour Cycling Relay on 11/12 August, 2012. The main cycling took place in Zurich, Switzerland, from 7:00 am on 11th August until 10:00 am on 12th August. During the same 27 hours cyclists joined in Geneva, Basel, Winterthur, Baden, as well as in Subotica, Serbia. 42 participants achieved all together 1986.5 km, with the longest distance being absolved by Nikhad Pavlovic

(263.98km).

And finally a Cycling Week in October 2012 was dedicated to the 5th anniversary of Sri Chinmoy’s mahasamadhi. Cyclists could join any day and anywhere starting on October 5th and finishing at midnight, October 11th. Thirty-five cycling-lovers took part in seven different countries: Switzerland, Italy, USA, Germany, Bosnia & Hercegovina, Serbia and Bulgaria with a total distance of 1515 km.

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Sri Chinmoy Completed in two 24 hour cycle races in the 1970s.

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New records at the Berlin 12&24 hour race

The Self-Transcendence 12 & 24 hour race organized by the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team in Berlin honoured its name by registering two new records broken. Ultrarunning legend Yannis Kouros, world-record holder in the 24 hours, 48 hours and the 100 miles, set a new world record in his age category (over 50) in the 12 hours by running 127.984 kilometres – an average of 10.6K per hour.

Yannis Kouros competing in the 12 Hour Race

Dutch ultrarunner Jos Akkermans broke the Dutch national record in his age category (over 60) by logging 177.186 kilometres in the 24 hour race.

Jos Akkermans on his way to a new Dutch record

Another ultrarunning legend, Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk, world-record holder of the 3100 Mile Race (the longest certified race in the world) just missed the world record in the 100 miles during the 24 hour race. He completed the 24 hours by running 204.76 kilometres, placing second.

Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk in the 24 Hour Race

 

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