Local ultra-distance athlete Alex Ramsey competes in grueling 3,100-mile race as only American participant
A former Sagamore Hills resident is currently competing in the world’s longest certified footrace, running more than 60 miles per day in a 52-day endurance test that pushes the limits of human endurance.
Alex Ramsey, 40, who recently moved to Lakewood, is the only American in this year’s Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race. The event began Aug. 30 and continues through Oct. 20 in Jamaica, Queens, where runners circle a single city block for up to 18 hours daily in pursuit of an extraordinary goal.
For years, Ramsey prepared for ultra-distance events on familiar Northeast Ohio terrain. He logged countless training miles on the Bike and Hike Trail, the Towpath Trail and other routes throughout the National Park system. More recently, the streets of Lakewood and paths of Edgewater Park became his training grounds as he built toward this ultimate challenge.
The race demands that participants complete 3,100 miles in 52 days, requiring an average of at least 60 miles per day just to finish. Runners follow a 0.548-mile loop around a city block, repeating the same circuit thousands of times. The course opens at 6 a.m. and closes at midnight each day, giving competitors an 18-hour window to accumulate mileage.
As of Friday, most runners had reached the two-thirds mark of the race, with approximately 1,000 miles still to go. The mental and physical toll of running the equivalent of nearly 120 marathons in less than two months separates this event from typical ultra-distance races.
This year marks the 29th running of the event, which holds USA Track and Field certification as the longest footrace in the world. In its nearly three-decade history, only three other American runners have completed the race, making Ramsey’s participation particularly notable.
The Sri Chinmoy Marathon organization manages the event and provides essential support to help runners survive the ordeal. Throughout each day, the organization supplies fluids and vegetarian meals to keep participants fueled as they cover distances most people cannot imagine running in a week, let alone a single day.
This year’s international field includes runners from Italy, Russia, Poland, China, Romania, Czech Republic, New Zealand and the United States. The diverse group of athletes shares a common goal of self-transcendence, pushing beyond perceived limits in one of the most demanding tests of endurance in competitive sports.
Ramsey has previously competed in 100-mile races and multi-day events spanning six and 10 days, but the 3100-mile race represents the pinnacle of ultra-distance running achievement.
