Many long-distance runners and endurance athletes intuitively understand that running and athletics open up the door to spiritual and emotional well-being. Long distance running provides ample opportunity for self-reflection and athletes are keen to try and push their boundaries constantly. Sri Chinmoy, a well-known advocate of exercise as a meditative act, often said that running offers a means of continual transcendence, which he referred to as self-transcendence. This teaching culminated in the Self-Transcendence 3,100-mile race, in which participants take up to 52 days to complete a 3,100-mile race in New York, averaging almost 60 miles per day.
The documentary inspired by this phenomenal feat of human endurance, "3100: Run and Become" focuses on cultures and runners who embody the principle of running as a path to spiritual wellbeing. One of Sri Chinmoy's own students and member of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team, Ashprihanal Aalto is the main focus of the documentary, which details his historic 2015 Self-Transcendence 3,100-mile run.
Born in Finland in 1970, Ashprihanal Aalto is a part-time ultramarathon runner who works as a courier. He took up running as a hobby when he was 25, ran his first marathon in 1995 and then began running multi-day races in 1999. In addition to running, he's completed both the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trails, enjoying the opportunity for meditation and training his mind. He ran his first Self-Transcendence 3,100-mile in 2000 and finished it in 47 days and 13 hours. He subsequently ran the race 12 more times, culminating in a record-breaking run of just over 40 days in 2015, averaging 76.7 miles per day. He dedicated his run to the late Sri Chinmoy, and his success was praised by his rival and former record holder, Madhupran Wolfgang Schwer.
After reaching the pinnacle of endurance running, Ashprihanal Aalto has taken Sri Chinmoy's teachings about pushing boundaries to heart. His current goals are to climb the highest peaks in Alaska and Canada which are some of the most challenging climbs in the world. His experience with endurance running and running at high altitudes are likely to help him in his future endeavors.
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