In April 2007, Harita Davies from Christchurch, New Zealand completed the Self-Transcendence Six-Day Race in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in New York, home of the famous Unisphere sculpture. Here she talks about why she runs ultra-distance races, and how they have made her a better and stronger person in many different ways.

The first question most people ask me is "why?" Why choose to enter a race where you run around and around a one mile loop in the middle of New York City for six days? Firstly, I love to run. When running the world is an adventure playground. Day or night, rain, sun, wind, hail, you name it! I love the freshness, I love the unbounded freedom, I love the beauty of this world of ours, and I love to be a part of it. Running clears my mind and opens my heart to a realm of vastness and infinity. Secondly, multi day running is a uniquely spiritual experience. No one is inspired to do these races for the glory; it is more of a calling or an inner compulsion that draws a runner to the start line of a multi day race. Others may shake their heads in disbelief, but when you get the inner calling or inspiration, you simply have to make the attempt. Ultra running shows you what you really have within yourself. I have now completed three six-day races, each filled with volumes of experiences. This year's race started on a cool late April day in Flushing Meadows Park, New York. We were the largest field that the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team has ever had to contend with for a multi-day race; forty one six-day runners and the same amount for the concurrently run ten-day race. Six days is a long and short time. Each day is filled with so many experiences and challenges on all levels. You feel on top of the world at one moment, and consumed by pain and self doubts in the next moment. Beyond the suffering, however, exists a realm of beauty and peace that cannot be attained or appreciated without the struggle. The view from the top of the mountain is so much more beautiful if you have to climb the mountain than if you just step out of the car door, it's just the way life is. The famous poem by Robert Frost springs to mind,

"...Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less travelled by
And that has made all the difference."

Multi day running is not such an unusual activity. It is actually a very normal thing to do. Much more normal for the body to be out moving around in the freshness of Mother Nature, spending quality time exploring the capacities and depths of your heart and soul and discovering your true potential, than to sit back and dull your senses watching TV, wouldn't you say?

Running multi-day races has made me a better person. It has made me strong physically, mentally and spiritually;
- Physically, because it's not easy!
- Mentally, because any negative thoughts weaken you, so you have to find the strength to go beyond the pain, exhaustion, frustration and self-doubt.
- Spiritually, because it quickly becomes obvious that to do this kind of thing requires a lot more than physical and mental strength. The inspiration to take part, the strength to keep going, and the indescribable experience of self transformation at the end come from a high and deep source within each runner. Drawing on the spiritual light and grace make the whole experience a real blessing.

Running in these races is a wonderful opportunity to really discover and believe the unlimited capacity that we all have within us, and how if we can make it a reality in one way, we see how much we can achieve in all aspects of our life. Sri Chinmoy, the race founder, says;

"In the outer world, whether it is a long-distance run or a short-distance run, or jumping or throwing, any extraordinary activity we perform on earth is an indication of the fact that in the inner world that capacity does exist. It is only that we have to use it..."