Published By: Sayan Paul

Happy Birthday Sunita Williams: Did You Know The Indian-American Astronaut Is The First To Run Marathon In Space?

The NASA astronaut, currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS) with fellow astronaut Barry Wilmore, celebrates her birthday in space for the second time.

"Don’t let anyone ever tell you, ‘You can’t do it’. That’s the biggest thing…!" - Sunita Williams

Sunita Williams has been making headlines consistently for the past few months. She continues to stay aboard the International Space Station with her fellow astronaut Barry Wilmore (the Boeing spacecraft has returned to Earth uncrewed) and is expected to stay there until February 2025. While the Indian-American astronaut is officially "stuck in space", it's important to note that she is conducting some significant scientific research, contributing further to the world of space exploration.

Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore

Well, while many may have heard her name for the first time recently, Williams is actually a legendary astronaut with several major achievements to her name. Over the past two decades, she has been part of a number of landmark expeditions, inspiring countless individuals worldwide. Also, she is a former record holder for most spacewalks by a woman (seven) and most spacewalk time for a woman (50 hours, 40 minutes).

 

 

(Credit: IANS)

The astronaut turns 59 today, celebrating her birthday in space for the second time. On this occasion, we share an interesting fact about her that you didn't know.

When Sunita Williams Became The First Person To Run A Marathon In Space

A space marathon refers to a long-distance run that astronauts perform while staying aboard the International Space Station (ISS). These are run on a treadmill, using a harness to counteract the effects of a lack of gravity in space.

Back in 2007, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams ran the first space marathon, in conjunction with the Boston Marathon.

 

(Credit: Bouteflikov)

Williams (aged 41 back then) had qualified for the elite race by running the Houston Marathon in 2006 in 3 hours, 29 minutes. She began running her space marathon as the race kicked off in Boston. After covering 42.2 kilometers (26.2 miles) on a treadmill, she sent a message to Mission Control that she had completed the race with an unofficial time of about four hours, 24 minutes. And that's how she created history!

 

(Credit: Admirable Women)

But Why A Space Marathon?

Just when the news of Sunita Williams running a space marathon came out, everyone was quite surprised with the idea itself. Well, as if going to the space wasn't enough!

 

(Credit: NASA History Office)

Speaking about the idea behind her space marathon, Williams later explained during a video interview broadcast on NASA TV, "I think the idea came up because I'm a big proponent of physical fitness and I just wanted to make kids aware that it is a necessary part of your life. I think if I could do something up here to show kids that it's fun and it's important, then maybe somebody will get off the couch and start working out."

Some Interesting Facts To Know

While Williams was running, most of the six-person ISS crew at that time was asleep. Russian flight engineer Oleg Kotov came a couple of times to cheer for her and take her pictures.

She took multiple breaks during her race to drink water, massage her legs, and adjust the harness.

In 2016, British European Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake became the first man to complete a space marathon. He performed it in conjunction with the London Marathon, covering the 42 km (26.2 mi) distance in about three hours, and 35 minutes.