Day 4

Many important things probably happened in the world today. That 14 runners showed up at 6 am on a Queens sidewalk for the 4th day in a row probably doesn't make it very high as a news item. That, they will continue to do this, day in and day out, until they have each completed 3100 miles is something very different indeed.





A few, are driven the short distance from where they are staying, to the race each morning.







Most of the runners seem to come by bike. It gives them a chance to stretch the legs out in the evening when they go home. And then warm those sane tired muscles up in the morning, before they come.





In the few minutes there is, before the 6 am start, there sometimes seem to be plenty of important things to do, before the business of running begins for the day






The runners can seem to be going through every kind of mood, from silly to serious.








Everybody seems to know how to use these few precious minutes so well. Even after just 4 days the little rituals of stretching and getting fully ready have taken shape.






Sutisheel has an early morning snack. Breakfast won't come for a while. Smarana shows me some leaves he picked that should help his blisters.






Pranjal has a shave, and Asprihanal is working on his feet before heading out for a long day of running ahead of him.

Soon enough the hour of 6 comes signaling that it is time for all to come up to the line and take care of business.







The atmosphere now, on this quiet road, is so sweet and gentle. The sun will move slowly across the sky and the world will start to speed up around this tiny oasis of stillness. Traffic and people will come and push into this calm, but the runners will be oblivious to this intrusion. They will run on. Their universe, just a little more than a half mile, of New York sidewalk.



My Lord,
How I wish I could tell You
How much I love you!
"My child,
How I wish I could tell you
How much I need you."

by Sri Chinmoy, My Race Prayers Part 2