About the author:
Nirbhasa is originally from Ireland but currently lives in Reykjavik, Iceland. He is an enthusiastic multi-day runner, having completed four times the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race - the longest race in the world.
A cellist from Vienna, Shamita Achenbach-König has been running ultramarathons for over 25 years. Her latest project is a series of multi-day runs across Europe – first she ran around Lake Constance where she grew up, then she ran across the length of her native Austria, and then she ran from Vienna to Heidelberg in Germany. Her most recent adventure took place earlier this year, lasted 16 days, and took her from Vienna to Paris; a distance of 1200km.
This year's run had its fair share of obstacles, such as minor injuries and bad weather, but Shamita stayed cheerful right through to the finish, helped by her enthusiastic support crew of Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team members from all over Europe. A meditation student of Sri Chinmoy, Shamita views ultra-distance running as part of her spiritual practice, a way to push aside the mind's doubts and limitations. She is one of the main people featured in the recent documentary 3100: Run and Become, an exploration of the spiritual side of long distance running.