Nirbhasa Magee - Sri Chinmoy 3100 Mile Race

About

About Nirbhasa

Nirbhasa Magee grew up in Summerhill, County Meath, Ireland, and holds a degree and PhD in theoretical physics from Trinity College Dublin.

Nirbhasa first entered the Sri Chinmoy 3100 Mile Race in 2015 - completing it on his very first attempt and becoming the first Irishman ever to finish the world's longest race. He went on to finish the race in 2017, 2019, and 2020.

He lived in Reykjavik, Iceland 2013-2022, originally moving there to care for a close friend who had developed motor neurone disease. He now lives in Zlin, Czech Republic, and works as an archivist.

Before tackling the 3100, Nirbhasa twice completed the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 10-Day Race in Flushing Meadows, New York, covering 702 miles in 2014.

The Race

The World's Longest
Certified Road Race

The Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race is held annually in Jamaica, Queens, New York City. Runners circle an 883-metre block around Thomas A. Edison High School - 5,649 laps to cover 3,100 miles.

The time limit is 52 days. That means running at least 59.6 miles every single day - through weather, blisters, sleep deprivation, mental fatigue, and the relentless sameness of a half-mile loop repeated thousands of times.

Only 10-15 athletes are accepted each year. Not all of them finish. Since the race began in 1997, fewer than 60 people in history have ever crossed the finish line. Nirbhasa has finished it four times.

In 2020, due to COVID-19, the race was relocated to Salzburg, Austria - the only time it has been held outside New York.

Distance 3,100 miles (4,989 km)

Time limit 52 days

Loop length 883 metres - 5,649 laps to finish

Daily minimum 59.6 miles (95.9 km) every day

Race hours 6 a.m. to midnight, daily

All-time finishers Fewer than 50 people have ever finished

Results

Four 3100 Mile Finishes

Nirbhasa has completed the 3100 Mile Race in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.

2015

7th place

Finish time

51 days, 12:12:13

Pace

60.1 mi / 96.8 km per day

First attempt. First Irishman ever to finish the race.

2017

3rd place

Finish time

48 days, 16:47:01

Pace

63.3 mi / 102 km per day

Nearly 3 days faster than 2015.

2019

2nd place

Finish time

48 days, 09:04:57

Pace

64.1 mi / 103.1 km per day

Personal best. New Irish national record.

2020

3rd place

Finish time

51 days, 09:41:53

Pace

60.3 mi / 97.1 km per day

Race held in Salzburg, Austria.

“

It was always very important to never think of the whole thing. Sometimes all you want is to get to the next break. You need a very good inner feeling for how far you can push it. It becomes a spiritual exercise.

- Irish Examiner

Talks & Presentations

Bringing the Lessons of 3,100 Miles to You

Nirbhasa offers talks for sporting clubs, schools, universities, corporate teams, and meditation groups. The talks are free of charge; the joy of sharing and reliving these experiences is payment enough. Drawing on four completions of the world's longest race, he shares practical and philosophical insights on endurance, self-transcendence, and the inner life that sustains extraordinary achievement.

He has been covered by the Wall Street Journal, Outside Magazineand national media in Ireland and Iceland.

Book a Talk

Self-Transcendence

What running 3,100 miles teaches about overcoming the mind's limitations.

The Art of Endurance

Practical strategies for maintaining focus over weeks and months.

Running with the heart - not the mind

How shifting awareness from the mind to the heart transforms difficult experiences into beautiful ones.

One Lap at a Time

How to break any overwhelming goal into manageable steps.

Running for the Right Reasons

How having the right purpose can shape the outcome - in sport, work, and life.