Journey to the Unknown
A 3,100 mile orbit of concrete, automobiles and local humanity,
Lightly spiced with a hint of nature
And fed by the Grace of God,
Supported with the efforts of friends
Who sympathize with the pain,
The Joys
And the challenges
Facing at every moment
These handful of Hero-Warriors.
Running, walking, struggling
To the beat of their own
Undying aspirations
In this perpetually moving
Epic adventure,
These Ultimate Survivors
Of obstacles unimaginable
Are proving to humanity
With their unparalleled perseverance,
Adamantine wills
And unswerving Faith,
That the impossible can be done,
And the Universal Energy
Can be unleashed,
To raise our standards And lift our minds
Beyond the limits of our broken bodies
And faithless thoughts,
To reveal the Beauty and the Power
Of life’s long and arduous
Journey to the Unknown.
Arpan DeAngelo
This poem was inspired by the longest official footrace in the world, ‘The Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race’ which has been conducted by the Sri Chinmoy Marathon every summer since 1997 in Queens, New York. The runners have up to two months to complete the distance of 3100 miles on foot, averaging anywhere from 50 to 70 or more miles a day. The days are only 18 hours long, as the runners have to leave the half-mile course by midnight and start the next day at 6 a.m.
With much help and support from the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team and other friends or family, each runner challenges their own limitations to gradually work their way closer and closer to the lofty goal. In the process of doing so they not only discover sources of strength and determination they may not have experienced before, but also inspire others to face their own personal challenges in life to keep transcending their own limitations in whatever aspect of their life is important to them.
Writing this poem in 2002 after many years of helping runners in the annual race, I was inspired by Sri Chinmoy himself to attempt the race in 2004. With much difficulty I finished the race in 52 days and 10 hours and became the first person over the age of 50 years to complete the distance. For this I offer tremendous personal gratitude to Sri Chinmoy who inspired me to do it and expressed his own faith in me doing it when I myself was lacking in faith. I am also very grateful to the helpers and organizers of this event who do an unimaginable amount of work to allow the runners to attempt and succeed in reaching their lofty goals.
For more information and results of these annual races please visit this website: http://www.3100.ws/