Last year 673 people climbed to the summit of Mount Everest. Many climbed up, climbed up, many were dragged up. Statistically, there are now 1.7 “mountaineers” per mountain guide. Supervised climbing at a price you could buy a Porsche for at home. But that’s no use in the Himalayas. You can’t climb Mount Everest in a sports car yet, the providers of all-inclusive trips with a guaranteed summit rush aren’t there yet.
But if you’re looking for the greatest possible superlative today, you can still make an impression in certain sporting circles with a summit photo of the highest mountain in the world. Have you finished an Ironman? Oh, everyone does it now, you know, I just came from Everest, it was really great. Yes, that’s what they are, the Everest conquerors with their heated socks, satellite phones and rescue helicopters. For you and everyone else who is looking for a bit of exercise and an event that is more exclusive than a package trip to Everest, here is a tip from me.
How about taking part in the Self Transcendence Race in New York City?
This year, however, it won’t work anymore, the race is in full swing. Last Sunday was day 40. The road race, organized by the spiritually inspired Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team since 1995, runs over 3,100 miles, i.e. 4,988 kilometers. It takes place around a block in the borough of Queens. One lap is 883 meters long, so anyone who wants to finish the race successfully has to run the house lap 5,649 times.
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They have 52 days to do this, which means they have to cover at least 60 miles every day. Then after 52 days they have completed just over 118 marathons and thus the required 4988 kilometers. Anyone who is still a few hundred or thousand kilometers short of the 4988 after 52 days has unfortunately not made it. You can run from six in the morning to midnight. Food and sleeping accommodations are provided.
Last year’s winners, Italy’s Andrea Marcato and New Zealand’s Susan Marshall, took 43 days and four hours and 50 days and 16 hours respectively. The New York Times has called the Self Transcendence Race the “Mount Everest of ultrarunning.” The comparison is a bit flawed. While 673 people reached the summit of Everest last year, in 27 years only 52 athletes have reached the goal of the 3,100 mile run. You see: the real challenge, the real Everest, cannot be found in the Himalayas. But in Queens.
