Longest Race Cancelled For This Year

The pandemic hit the world’s longest certified road race. "Self-Transcendence" 3100 Mile Race is cancelled for the first time.

The event, initially held over 2700 miles in New York in 1996, then organised at the distance of 3100 miles uninterruptedly since 1997, is cancelled this year due to the coronavirus crisis around the globe. The organisers made the decision considering the public health as well as the travel restrictions for the participants outside the USA.

The competitors of the Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race cover the distance by running 5649 laps at a 0.5488-mile loop around one block in Queens, passing by a vocational high school, basketball courts and a playground. The time limit to finish the race is 52 days. The runners begin at 6 a.m. and run for extended periods throughout the day, taking breaks as needed. If they want to, they can continue as late as 12 midnight when the course closes for the night.

Men’s race record is held by Ashprihanal Aalto of Finland who finished with a time of 40 days 9 hours 6 minutes 21 seconds in 2015. Women’s record holder is Kaneenika Janakova from Slovakia who completed 3100 miles in 48 days 14 hours 24 minutes 10 seconds in 2017.