Ashrita Furman crawls his way to another world record!

Applying tape with Bipin's assistance.

"Racing this time!"

All focus and intensity.

Horses train nearby.

Taking a drink.

Adjusting the bandages.

Finished, grateful...

...and victorious.

The Man: Ashrita Furman.
The Assistant: Bipin Larkin.
The Date: February 17, 2006.
The Venue: The Selanger Turf Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The Record: One Mile Crawl.
The Rules: One knee has to be in contact with the ground at all times.
The Previous Record: 37 minutes and 33 seconds.

And what better place to attempt a world record in the One Mile Crawl than a horse racing track! Lush green turf and the thunder of equine hooves set the scene and gave our intrepid recordaire inspiration for the tough task ahead. Arriving before the sun rose, New Yorkers Ashrita Furman and his assistant-friend Bipin Larkin began preparations for the record as the Malaysian heat began to build. It was going to be another balmy day—humidity that could be cut with a knife. A posse of press cameramen and witnesses buzz around the 51 year old health food store manager—a man that the good people at Guinness Book of World Records have dubbed Mr. Versatility for the sheer number and variety of records that he has broken, held and reclaimed over the years.

For this record attempt, a 400 metre section of the racetrack was accurately measured and marked within the home-straight of a training track. Ashrita will have to work back and forth to make up the mile. Bandages were applied to Ashrita's knees as he had lost skin in practice—his hands were also blistered. "Training is one of the tough things about these records," he said. "For the one mile crawl, I had to train on hard surfaces and so the skin on my knees and hands was kind of cut up by the time I got to the track. The moisture of the turf soaked the bandages once the attempt got underway and I had to stop twice to pull them back into place. It was quite painful and the heat was intense as well."

Bandages in place, Ashrita takes the time to chat with the track officials and members of the local press that have gathered to report the record. Following a few moments of silent inner preparation, Ashrita moves to the start line and gets into position. "I always like to meditate before I attempt these records," he tells us. "In fact, I feel it is meditation that gives me the capacity to accomplish these feats. Sometimes my mind is wavering or my body is tired or even injured in some small way, and these things deter or distract you. Meditation helps to keep you focused and 'in the heart'—by that I mean that the mind becomes calm and sure of it's purpose. Courage and determination come to the fore and we have a sense of our own internal strengths and indomitable inner character. This is the heart of what we are. I focus on these good qualities when I'm doing these records and they carry me much further than all the training—and block out any nagging doubts or distractions that might come into my mind." Ashrita has been a student of meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy since the early 1970's—something that he says "opened my eyes to a realm of possibility that I had never dreamed of before. Sri Chinmoy has taught me that anything is possible if we only dare to have faith."

Finally, he begins. One of the local race announcers is on hand to 'call' the record as it progresses. In that classic rhythmic inflection, he hams for the camera, "They're set for the one mile. Away at any moment now... Racing this time! All the runners come out crawling and Ashrita Furman goes straight to the lead... Looks like it could be a one horse race folks—albeit a slow one!" One of the hallmarks of Ashrita Furman's record breaking is his dogged determination and grit—just ask anyone who has witnessed them. One person who has witnessed his records on most occasions over the past 25 years is Ashrita's close friend and faithful assistant Bipin Larkin. "Ashrita's tough alright—I think he might be a little crazy too—that probably helps!" he laughs. "Ashrita has a strong belief in what he is doing and kind of follows the example of our meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy. He also holds many records in weightlifting and feats of strength and is always saying that the inspiration, strength and determination needed for such things comes from within us—from our prayers and meditation. Ashrita's records might seem like just a bit of fun sometimes, but underneath these seemingly fatuous records is a lot of preparation and determination. He's a great athlete and shows great heart. I am sure people get much joy and inspiration from what he is doing."

Sore knees, hands and the effects of the heat begin to show on Ashrita's face pretty soon into the venture. The sweat pores and he stops for a quick drink and to adjust the bandages. Impossibly quick, he's away again as training race horses thunder by in the early morning heat-haze. "I was really inspired by the energy of the horses," he said afterwards. "It was quite a difficult record because of the raw knees and hands. The horses definitely inspired me and on the homestretch I started chanting to keep myself focused. It was quite a relief to finish." But finish he did with a new world record time of 29 minutes and 30 seconds—8 minutes and 3 seconds under the previous record! Not bad for a city boy—but then they seem to breed 'em tough in New York City!

The strain showed at the finish. The track officials called in two vets who carefully dressed his knees and hands. This was all good press fodder and after a little rest, Ashrita was back to his regular amiable self—chatting to the press and thanking the track officials. Asked if he would recommend crawling as a good form of exercise, Ashrita quipped, "Well, it's an excellent form of exercise—for every part of the body—but I don't think it will catch on!" And that's probably how you could sum up most of his records.