Sri Chinmoy's Marathon Running

Sri Chinmoy felt running made an excellent complement to a spiritual life of prayer and meditation.

Sri Chinmoy running

During the 1970s and 1980s, Sri Chinmoy ran 22 marathons. His first marathon was on 3 March 1979 in a time of 4:31:34. His fastest marathon time was 3.55.07 in the Toledo marathon [1. Sri Chinmoy, Run and Become part 7]

Speaking on the spiritual significance of marathons, Sri Chinmoy writes:

"The marathon is a long journey. Of course, there is also the ultramarathon, but the marathon is unique and it will always remain unparalleled among long-distance runs. Just as the marathon is a long journey on the outer plane, so is spirituality a long, longer, longest journey on the inner plane. Your own spiritual run is birthless and deathless; it is endless."

- Sri Chinmoy [2. Sri Chinmoy, The Outer Running And The Inner Running, Agni Press, 1974.]

A prolonged knee injury later forced Sri Chinmoy to give up running; instead he took up weightlifting.

The Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team continue to promote marathons and other running races world-wide.

• Love of Running - video by Utpal Marshall

• Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team