Yolander Holder is all smiles but dealing with blisters 10 days into the world's longest race

Yolander is on the 10th day of the world's longest race. "I'll be walking for 18 hours a day, seven days a week, for over seven weeks to reach 3100 Miles as a participant in the 2018 Srichinmoy Race," she posted on her website.  Her goal is to break her record she set in 2017 where she completed the race in 51 days, 17 hours and 13 seconds.  She posts a video daily on her Facebook page.  This morning she filled us in on how she is doing. "The warmup is the hardest part of a race like this because I am walking on open blisters.  It is very painful and I just need to tolerate the pain.  I need to go to a happy place in my head.  My feet will heal. My feet were perfect before this race started.  These blisters came around mile 40.  The less I talk about these blisters, the better."  The race goes around a half mile city block on the sidewalks in Queens, New York.  The runners have 52 days in which to complete the distance, an average of 59.62 miles everyday.  Before the race started she said, "I’m the only American in the 3100 Mile Race (again).  I am the only African American male or female that has ever run or walk this race (again).  I’m the oldest woman (again).  I’m the only walker (again).  I am going to attempt to break my own World Record...No crying this year... Walk Baby Walk."    In 2012, Yolander Holder broke her own world record by completng 120 marathons or beyond in one year.  She has run over 540 marathons or beyond, over twenty of these were 100 milers.

posted Tuesday June 26th
by Bob Anderson