Orbiting astronaut runs Boston marathon

338 kms above Earth, Expedition 15 crew member Sunita Williams attempted something no other astronaut has ever done. She ran the Boston Marathon while in orbit on the International Space Station.

Williams circled Earth at least twice in the process, running as fast as 13 kilometers per hour but flying 8 kilometers each second, as she completed the Boston Marathon on a station treadmill on Monday. Her unofficial completion time was four hours and 24 minutes as she completed the race at 2:24 p.m. EDT (1824 GMT), according to NASA TV.

Williams ran under better weather conditions than her Boston counterparts. In Boston, it was 48 degrees Fahrenheit (8.8 degrees Celsius) with some rain, mist and wind gusts while station weather was 78 degrees with no wind or rain with 50 percent humidity.

The Boston Athletic Association had issued Williams bib number 14,000. The bib had been sent electronically to NASA, which had forwarded it to Williams. She says her reason for running the marathon is simple. "I would like to encourage kids to start making physical fitness part of their daily lives. I thought a big goal like a marathon would help get this message out there."

Regular exercise is essential to maintaining bone density while in space for astronauts. "In microgravity, both of these things start to go away because we don't use our legs to walk around and don't need the bones and muscles to hold us up under the force of gravity," Williams said.

Williams, an accomplished marathoner, has been training for the marathon for months while serving a six-month stint as a flight engineer on board the ISS. She runs at least four times a week, 2 longer runs and 2 shorter runs.

Williams qualified for the marathon when she ran a 3:29:57 in the Houston Marathon last year. Her biggest challenge running in space will be staying harnessed to a specially designed treadmill with bungee cords. Williams says running on it can sometimes be uncomfortable. The machinery puts a strain on the runner's hips and shoulders.

Here on Earth, Williams has a huge support network. Fellow NASA astronaut, Karen Nyberg, Williams' sister Dina Pandya, and long- time friend Ronnie Harris are among the 24,000 other runners participating in the marathon.

Race organizers say this is their first satellite venture, and they are thrilled about it. "Suni running 26.2 miles (about 42 kms) in space on Patriots' Day (of Massachusetts) is really a tribute to the thousands of marathoners who are running here on Earth. She pioneers new frontiers in the running world," said Jack Fleming, Boston Athletic Association.

Source: Xinhua