Ashprihanal Aalto is a member of the Sri Chinmoy marathon Team from Finland and a noted ultra-distance runner. He has won the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race on eight occasions, finishing a record 14 editions of the race. Ashprihanal also holds the course record with the quickest ever time of 40 days 09:06:21 (2015)
Ashprihanal was born Pekka Aalto on 27 August 1970 Stockholm, Sweden. He became a student of Sri Chinmoy in his twenties and later received from Sri Chinmoy, his spiritual name “Ashprihanal” After walking long distance trail events such as Appalachian Trail (3,500km) and the Pacific Crest Trail (4,286km), he entered his first major ultra distance races in 1999, finishing third in the Sri Chinmoy Ultra Trio 700 Mile Race in a time of 09:09:10:40.
The next year, 2000, he ran both the Self-Transcendence 10 day race in May (completing 669 miles) and later in the year, the 2000 edition of the Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race. He won at his first attempt in a time of 47:13:29:55. In both 2000 and 2001, he completed in three major ultra-distance races in the same year - the 6 Day Race, the 3100 Mile race and the 700 Mile race. This volume of race miles in a single calender year is unprecedented.
When not running, Ashprihanal works as a courier and delivery man in Helsinki. This enables him to do some training whilst working and also gain the free time necessary to undertake long distance running challenges. He says that because of his past volume of race miles he doesn't need to do very long distance training, but in winter likes to try other sports, such as cycling and skiing to keep fit.
In 2006, the President of Finland, Tarja Halonen, honoured Ashprihanal as an "International Ambassador of Sport"
2015 Record-breaking run
In 2015, Ashprihanal came to the race in good form, well rested and already at race weight (58kg). He went on to break the course record by nearly 24 hours, setting a time of 40 days and 9 hours. Aalto said of that record-setting victory: “It was like an inner journey also. I felt like [I was] doing it for my spiritual teacher [Sri Chinmoy], in memory of him. He once told me, after I finished my first race here, he said, ‘You can do much, much better, so you come next year and break the record.’ I’m very happy that I was able to do it,” (Continue reading)
Interview with Asprihanal
Question: So, first things first, why run such extreme distances?
Asprihanal: "I started off walking long distances, I completed the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail and they are 3,500km and 4,286km long. I heard about multi-day running races and I thought it sounded nice, to run all day and night so I decided to take part. I also do meditation and running long distances is a good way to train your mind."
Continue reading: This guy ran 5,000km around the block at RedBull.com
Personal bests
- Marathon 2.57, HCM 1999
- 12 h 122.8 km, Lohja 2005
- 24 hours running 217.7 km, Czech Republic 2004
- 24-hour cross-country skiing 204 km, Vierumäki 2004
- 6 day race - 457 miles (2003)
- 10 days - 833 miles (2014)
- 3100 miles - 40 days 9 hours 6 minutes
Related articles
External links
Multi-day race results
Year - Races Distance (Miles) Time (days, hours, mins, sec) Placing
1999 Sri Chinmoy Ultra Trio 700 Mile Race 700 09:09:10:40 1.
2000 Sri Chinmoy Ultra Trio 700 Mile Race 700 09:09:44:59 1.
2000 Self-Transcendence 10 Day Race 669 10:00:00:00 2.
2000 Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race 3100 47:13:29:55 1.
2001 Self-Transcendence 10 Day Race 349 10:00:00:00 —
2001 Sri Chinmoy Ultra Trio 700 Mile Race 700 09:20:32:29 1.
2001 Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race 3100 48:10:56:12 1.
2002 Self-Transcendence 6 Day Race 422 06:00:00:00 1.
2002 Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race 3100 46:13:27:51 2.
2003 Self-Transcendence 6 Day Race 457 06:00:00:00 1.
2004 Self-Transcendence 6 Day Race 433 06:00:00:00 1.
2004 Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race 3100 46:06:55:11 1.
2005 Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race 3100 49:10:28:49 2.
2006 Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race 3100 43:15:49:33 2.
2007 Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race 3100 43:04:26:32 1.
2008 Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race 3100 44:02:42:15 1.
2009 Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race 3100 43:16:28:06 1.
2010 Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race 3100 46:07:37:24 1.
2011 Self-Transcendence 6 Day Race 467 06:00:00:00 2.
2011 Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race 3100 46:07:37:24 3.
2012 Self-Transcendence 6 Day Race 470 06:00:00:00 2.
2013 Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race 3100 48:16:14:33 3.
2014 Self-Transcendence 10 Day Race 833 10:00:00:00 1.
2015 Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race 3100 40:09:06:21 1.
2016 Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race 3100 46 days 2.
