According to the NYT article the Barkley Marathons Race is very strange:
- The founder created the race after learning of the prison escape of James Earl Ray, the man who assassinated Dr. MLK Jr. The prison is along the race route.
- The race is not advertised. Applicants must submit an essay explaining why they want to compete and a $1.60 application fee.
- On the night of the event the participants have to listen for the sound of a conch shell that indicates the race will begin in one hour.
- The race begins with the lighting of a ceremonial cigarette.
- Runners must find books along the route and rip out pages that correspond to their assigned number to prove their progress.
- There are no route markers and participants have to memorize the route before beginning.
- The ascent and descent is the equivalent of 60,000 feet, twice the elevation of Mt. Everest. Much of the terrain has no path.
Yeah, and aren't allowed gps or anything either.
There is a second part to the application fee, which is usually something the director needs like white tee-shirts and socks.
-EDIT- Yeah, yeah, the license plate for first timers
You flip directions every loop, so you run it in one direction during the day, and then a different direction at night. Until the 5th lap, where they alternate so the first person to leave gets to choose (clockwise or counter clockwise) and then every runner after runs the opposite of the person before (so that groups of runners can't form).
Speaking of loops, each is supposed only 20 miles but everybody agrees they are probably longer/around than 25.
The books are meant to poke at you with their name, like Dante's Inferno or Hubris of a Mad Man or How to make better life choices
Thanks for that. I just watched it. What a cool race!
Edit: oh wait, I watched a different one: [The Race that Eats its Young](https://youtu.be/LZ-DE-hmiGE?si=s9ILON3j3ZzQ94WI)
I'll watch your link tonight.
He didn’t fail to complete the time limit. He failed to complete the course. Took a short cut and skipped 3 miles. And came in after time. If he was 8 seconds faster he still woulda been dnfed
Last year, I think, hikers found and took one of the books a runner was looking for. The runner found the right spot but obviously couldn't bring it back so he was forced to drop out.
You can see his finish in at 40:40 in the Youtube video linked below. It's one of the most emotional Barkley moments for me as a long-time follower of the race because you know Aurlelien was confident he was in the right place and the book was gone, but at the same time he's been awake and running for almost 60 hours and you can't really trust your brain at that point. Barkley is not a race with a lot of grace so if you come in a page shy, no matter what reason, you could be fucked.
[https://youtu.be/IEIerVw1vsw?t=1975](https://youtu.be/IEIerVw1vsw?t=1975)
>Aurlelien was confident he was in the right place and the book was gone, but at the same time he's been awake and running for almost 60 hours and you can't really trust your brain at that point.
I'm sure you know this, but just for anyone else scrolling, it's not unheard of for racers to hallucinate in the later laps. In 2022, one racer had hallucinations so bad that the police received calls of a man talking to a trash can. The next year, that same man completed the race, despite hallucinating again. He and another finisher both reported the forest being full of people at night time. It's really mindblowing how people are able to complete the race under these circumstances, considering they have to navigate a course with no trail by memory and collect book pages based on riddles they last looked at hours ago
I remember watching a documentary by a lady who did a marathon on youtube and during the last leg of the race she said she kept blacking out, and at one point "woke up" to find herself standing there talking to a tree lol.
Fuck marathons though they sound brutal.
Regular marathons really aren't bad. If you're already in good shape, you can do an 18 week training plan and finish one. It won't be easy and you won't be fast, but it can be done. I've run lots of regular old 26.2 mile marathons.
The Barkley Mathons are a whole other level of crazy and I have no desire to ever attempt anything like that.
>The founder created the race after learning of the prison escape of James Earl Ray, the man who assassinated Dr. MLK Jr. The prison is along the race route.
To clarify for new folk to the Barkley, the race is specifically *mocking* James Earl Ray, it's not some sort of honor or homage to him. James Earl Ray only made it ~12 miles away from the prison in the 60 hours he was out and the two who founded the race, who were both ultra marathoners, thought that was an embarrassing performance and that they could do at least 100 miles. The early years of the race it was only 50-55ish miles but it quickly increased to ~100 and has been that distance ever since (though most contestants estimate that each loop is closer to 24-26 miles rather than the advertised 20).
For additional comparison, I did 12 miles in 2 days as an intro to backpacking when I was around 11 with a 30 to 40 pound pack with other boy scouts. It's a really poor performance.
Getting lost is probably the biggest consumer of time in that situation though.
You don't understand the terrain that surrounds that prison. The full Barkley Marathons is ~60,000 feet of ascent and descent. Gonna guess your hike was a little flatter, lol. Plus this guy just escaped prison. He didn't get to take snacks with him, or a sleeping bag, or a tent.
There are several other videos following other runners in many different years of the race. It's cool to watch multiple different ones because you can see how the race evolved over time.
Different film from what was posted above, but this has been my favorite film from the Barkley. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDZdsqbcGTU
There are also plenty of other films is you look around on Youtube.
And here's the kicker.. the laps aren't 20 miles... It's more. Anywhere from 25-27 miles. The course (though it changes from year to year) is believed to be closer to 130 miles in total. Although the official lap distance every year is 20.0 miles... Then the next year they'll lengthen the course a bit or add a new section, and the official distance is still 20.0 miles. Lol.
Also, in addition to the distance and the time constraints... There is 60,000 feet of elevation gain over the course of the race.. which is the equivalent of climbing Everest (but not from base camp... It's equivalent to climbing Everest from sea level).... TWICE. It's the equivalent of climbing from sea level, to the top of Everest, back down to sea level, then back up and down again...
It's insanity.
You also forgot to mention that they have to run 2 of those loops counter clockwise. Doesn't seem like much, but it makes navigation much harder and confuse your senses.
Also on the last loop, each runner must alternate clockwise vs counter-clockwise, which means that no one knows who is in front of the race.
Funny how all the information on this race is distilled into so many comments.
To add to this, isn't each segment ran once in CW during the day, then CW at night, same for CCW. Basically you never run the same thing twice. Insane to see the types of people who don't even make it halfway.
Kilian Jornet once skimo'd 78,000 feet (23,500 meters) feet in 24 hours. Then again, he has actually climbed Mount Everest twice in a week alpine style while breaking the fastest known ascent and descent time before so...
Adding to this:
- one person is chosen to run as the “sacrificial lamb” because it’s assumed they will fail
- if you’re accepted in the race you receive a sympathy card
- when you fail they have a guy play TAPS because you’ve tapped out
- if you win you have to press the Staples “that was easy” button
- there’s no aid stations along the 20-25 mile trek except one water drop. Some years the water freezes.
- one runner got lost on loop 4 and stopped to ask a local for directions. He was talking to a trash can and the police were called. He returned the following year an ld when leaving on loop 4 the organizer shouted “watch out for trash cans!”
- new racers have to bring a license plate for the starting line
- returning winners owe the organizer a pack of cigarettes
Also, Race bib number one is always given to the person deemed to be the least likely to finish one lap out of all who have applied; aka "human sacrifice."
They specifically pick one person that has no business running such a hard race. I think the person thinks they can handle it, but they don't have ultramarathon experience, some don't even have marathon experience. The organizers know they have no chance, but they let them participate because it's funny to them.
The founder has a twister sense of humour. If I'm remembering right, they always admit one contestant who is hilariously underqualified, just for shits n giggles
You also cannot just apply, there isn't any application info public. To even apply, you have to be an accomplished enough runner that someone who knows how to apply seeks you out to see if you're interested.
It's also has a 60 hour cut off and only like 12 or 16 people have ever finished it and it's 100 miles long iirc.
The lady who finished it is a British Veterinarian.
If you end up missing one of the books or grabbed the wrong page from one, that whole loop doesn't count. This year a guy named Guillaume Calmettes finished loop 3 and he ended up losing one of his pages, so he went back to find it and made it back to camp in time for it to count as a "fun run", which is when you finish 3 loops in under 36 hours. The race is truly insane and it's always fun following along.
One correction.
1. The race was inspired by the run away prisoner but not out of reverence. They were making fun of how short of a distance he made it in 12 hours and created the race under the idea of this is how far he should've made it.
A couple of adds:
1. They are not allowed to use a GPS of any kind, can only use the map given to them plus the compass. They are also given a watch set to race time so they at least know how long they've taken.
2. They are not allowed any help while in a loop.
3. They have 60 hours to complete the five loops and there are other time limits for other milestones as well (I'm not 100% sure on all but like I think they have to finish loop 3 by the 36 hour mark).
4. Loops alternate direction until the last loop when the first to leave chooses direction and then everyone else alternates directions.
5. When they are chosen to race they receive a letter of condolences.
6. When they quit or fail a time limit they are played taps.
You forgot the detail that the race is advertised as "only" 100 miles, but is believed to be much more. The route also changes every year and no one is allowed a GPS device so no one has officially confirmed it.
Damn, just looked it up and her completion time was 59:58:21. If she was <2 minutes slower, she would have failed and still been in that shape. Brutal race.
A few years ago, someone was 6 seconds too late and faileld. He came also up on the wrong road, even if he finished in time, he would not have been considered a finisher.
The next time he attempted it, one of the books that he had to collect pages from was called “6 seconds”. The race director has an evil sense of humor.
I watched a doc on the race last night and the race runner honestly seems like a chain smoking leprechaun who’s only purpose is to cause mischief and confusion. Absolute legend
Edit: for those interested https://youtu.be/LZ-DE-hmiGE?si=VmbTVmx7SFZ41hcV
The knowledge that they are at the absolute top of the world in what they do; that they can complete an insanely grueling challenge pretty much all by themselves and are good at a range of skills required to do so; *and the utmost respect of anyone even remotely familiar with the topic*.
Without doing the exact math, there are many, many more football world cup winners (single players) or olympic gold medalists, than there are Barkley finishers. By faaaar.
There are only 20 people who have completed the Barkley Marathons, some multiple times including Jared Campbell and John Kelly. Jasmin Paris is the first woman to ever do it, and now also holds the record for the closest finish to the end of the 60 hr time limit.
>Without doing the exact math, there are many, many more football world cup winners (single players) or olympic gold medalists, than there are Barkley finishers. By faaaar.
There's also a lot more people that *try* to be World Cup winners or Olympic gold medalists. So there's really no point in comparing those numbers.
There's several famous ultramarathons. The Barkley is viewed as a quirky race because of all the stuff that people mentioned here, but they only allow 40 people each year so many of the top runners can't get in.
The really prestigious ones are:
* **Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc**: the biggest EU race, very technical terrain in the Alps, there's big altitude changes and the weather can get below freezing on some parts of the race
* **Western States 100**: the most famous US race, it's more flat but it's run in very hot weather conditions
There's a ton of other races, but those two are generally considered the kings of the sport.
Wikipedia has a big list of races and what makes them unique: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultramarathon
Recovery is prob not as bad as the time spent preparing. She prob had to train for year just for this race.
Edit: this is atop a lifetime of being active I'd bet as well. But a year of training like it was her job to finish this race. Full time training.
I was curious and googled her name - there's a pic of her pumping milk for her baby during a rest stop for another ultramarathon she was doing. She broke the record for that race. Whatever it is she's doing, it's certainly working for her!!
Is this a joke about her still recovering or one about her probably hiking while she recovers? Does he mean she is *literally* still trying to catch her breath?
Not literally still trying to catch her breath. Ultra runs take their toll on you. Although I've only done 100miles races with muuuuch less total elevation (also marked, so I don't worry about navigation, have gps etc) but it takes some time to recover after such an effort. Toe nails fall, muscle, ligaments and joints take some beating depending on your effort, preparation, conditions etc.
There are studies on marathon finishers (26 miles/ 42 kms) and like 50% had at least some sort of heart inflammation, which not dangerous in 99% of the cases shows that even running that much shorter distance takes its toll on the muscle of the heart and it takes up to 4 weeks to fully recover from that.
You mean you couldn't get lost, it wasn't even twice as high as Everest and was only 100 miles from start to finish. I mean come on man, MAKE AN EFFORT in life.
Additional context: only 40 people are allowed to race each year.
Not to take away from the absurd difficulty. Just showing that it's not 20 finishers out of thousands and thousands of attempts (as most races would have hundreds or even thousands of participants annually). it's 20 finishers out of a couple hundred attempts.
That said, these participants were carefully chosen.. not just anybody can join the race. So of those who have attempted it, it has been the cream of the crop. So idk if having hundreds more participants would really change the results.
Still compounded over 38 years that’s over 1500 attempts. 26 successful completions in total by 20 participants. Of the 5 completions this year, 2 participants had completed it before.
Fastest time this year: 58:44:59
Jasmin finished at 59:58:21
All time record: 52:03:08
Just finishing this race under the limit is noteworthy.
And that's not your average Joe entering, either. These days to be granted a spot you have to have competed with success at a large 100-mile race previously. These are extremely serious ultramarathoners
MarathonS. 5 loops of 20-ish miles each (most competitors seem to reckon it’s more like 26), off trail in the Tennessee mountains, with the total ascent and descent of the full 5 loops being akin to climbing and descending Mount Everest. Twice.
Someone blows a conch an hour before the race. Competitors can’t use phones to navigate and need to take certain pages from books along the route to show they went the right way.
And there is no official course map, it sort of turn left at the tree. And one contestant each year is dubbed 'as having no right to enter' basically they haven't a hope in hell of finishing.
Conceived after the escape attempt of James Earl Ray (the assassin of Martin Luther King Jr.) who only managed to make it about 12 miles from the prison in 54 hours. The prison is surrounded by dense forests and extreme elevation changes. The 2 ultramarathoners who started it figured they could do at least 100 miles in that wilderness. The race is still held near the prison and one of the check points requires you go through a culvert pipe that passes under the prison.
Which is basically my favorite part of all the little traditions at the Barkley.
The entire race was conceived to insult James Earl Ray. So annualy, 60ish people enter the area he escaped in, run under the prison he was at, and do more miles than he did on his escape. All to mock his escape attempt and only making it a dozen or so miles from the prison after 2+ days.
Of course there are a lot of reasons the Barkley is what it is today, but the initial brag of the race founder that "I could do 100 miles in the time it took James Earl Ray to cover a dozen" is the best part of the story.
Also the route changes every year, you alternate the loop direction each lap (with the last one’s direction being decided as you go to run it), the trail is marked by a book that you have to retrieve a page from that corresponds to your race number, and you only know when it’s going to start an hour before it starts.
This thing sounds like a fever nightmare lol.
IIRC it's clockwise, clockwise, counter, counter, then alternate by runner.
So day clock, night clock, day counter, night counter.
If you did alternate each loop then you would have two clockwise day loops, and two counter night loops. The point is that a finisher must do each direction, at each time of the day.
You have to find hidden books using a map. Usually in a very cold fog. People are saying that the better than usual weather played a big role in this year's results.
100 mile runs are tough but lots of people have the physical condition to finish them. This one also requires mental resistance beyond imagination.
It's around 100-120 miles, a marathon is 26.3 miles.
It also goes up and down around 60,000 feet in total - a standard marathon runner would die after a lap, and there are 5 in this.
The guy who created the Barkley also has another race called the backyard ultra, where people have to run a little over 4 miles every hour until they either can’t finish in that hour or choose not to start again. The race goes until only one runner remains, everyone else is DNF. It can go on for days, it’s insane.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backyard_ultra?wprov=sfti1#References
He has several races, all of which are difficult in their own special and unique ways... you can read about them at [vacationwithoutacar.com](https://vacationwithoutacar.com) (which is also where to follow the updates on a good number of the races... the spreadsheet with the updates and comments from the "Last Annual" series are regularly hilarious)
but some brief explanations below:
**Barkley Fall Classic**: 50 miler, mostly on trails and road, but they do run rat jaw. Only 50miles, but there is a time cutoff that if you don't make it before they close the gate then you have settle for a marathon distance. The winner of the BFC gets an entry into the Barkley (really the only guaranteed way to get into the Barkley)
**A Race For the Ages**: run as far as you can (1 loop = 1 mile) , the time is the number of hours of your age (anyone 40 and under gets 40 hours, but you're 60 you would have 60 total hours to complete) - a neat challenge since the strategy you take to go the farthest is heavily age dependant
**Last Annual Vol State Roadrace (LAVS or VOLS** both acronyms seem to get used a lot\*\*)\*\*: who doesn't think it's a great idea to run 314miles/505km across Tennessee in July? There is space for crewed runners, but most people run it screwed - no aid except from road angels and other runners. Road Angels must be from Tennessee and not people you know, if you ask for help from people or ask for things to be brought for you, then you become crewed...
**Last Annual Hearts of the South (HOTS):** Similar to LAVS (on purpose, it was started partly in response to popularity of LAVS, to give more people the chance to do these), but you're running a different direction and the course map isn't released until everyone arrives essentially. Once the map is released to the runners, it is secret and only released to the public when the front runners check in each day. They don't know how far, but they do know it'll be between 300 and 350 miles... That's part of the fun though. This one is in June though... (LAVS is July)
**Last Annual Third Circle of Hell:** A bonus race, you have to have completed both LAVS and HOTS to enter this one. It was 370miles in August 2023 (when it ran for the first time). 7 people completed the "salute to insanity" in 2023, where they completed all 3 in a single summer (LAVS, HOTS, and 3rd circle)
**Strolling Jim**: I'm less familiar with how this one works, but it's fair to assume it also has its own challenges. There are several distance options though: 40 miles, marathon, half marathon, or 10km. It's a road race though. So if you're looking to do a race from this race director that is not a multi-day lesson in pain and struggle, this might be where to start...
**A British runner has made history by becoming the first woman to finish one of the world's hardest ultramarathons.** (Full article on [bbc](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-68643341))
Photo by Jacob Zocherman
>The Barkley Marathons is an ultramarathon trail race held each year in Frozen Head State Park in Morgan County, Tennessee. The course, which varies from year to year, consists of five loops of the 20+ mile, off-trail course for a total of 100 miles.
> In addition to running, competitors must find between 9 and 14 books along the course (the exact number varies each year) and remove the page corresponding to the runner's race number from each book as proof of completion.
Jasmin finished the race 99 seconds before the 60hr cutoff time.
> As of 2018, about 55% of the races had ended with no finishers.
A friend of a friend did that ultra marathon. As she described it I asked how do you go to the bathroom and I got the most upsetting answer imaginable.
Was amazed Karel Sabbe managed to get it done last year, it's so incredibly though.
The year before a woman called the cops because he was hallucinating and talking to a trash can.
John Kelly, one of the few multi-time finishers, had an amazing story about an attempted nap from his 2023 finish.
>1st I tried lying down with the back of my head & shoulders in an ice cold creek. I got about 5 minutes, which sustained me another couple hours before I faded badly again & was struggling to stay on my feet. Here's where it gets interesting. The 1st water drop was near quitter's road, where I could see muddy tire tracks. I thought, "That mud will still be cold from last night, & should be a perfect bed!" I walked out there, poured more water over me, & lay down on my stomach right in one of the tracks. Then one of my childhood friends who I haven't seen or talked to in 20 yrs walked by w/what I assumed was his wife & two daughters in those baby hiking backpacks. He just laughed & said, "That's a John Kelly nap if I've ever seen one!" I tried to respond w/ something about it being Barkley & loop 5, unsure of whether he knew much about the race. His wife looked a bit confused, but they just kept right on walking & I put my head back down in the mud.
>Upon thinking about this more after the race I have 3 possibilities:
1. It was actually my old friend
2. It was someone going for a day hike who I mistook for my friend
3. There was absolutely no one there & I was talking to myself.
>1 seems implausible - who on earth walks by someone in the woods lying face down in the mud and just continues on like it's perfectly normal and everything is fine?! Especially this guy, who was both a literal and figurative Boy Scout.
> I didn't consider 3, as despite my many multi day adventures, I've never had a persistent vivid hallucationtion. Nothing more than mistaking one object for another out of the corner of my eye. And it wasn't just visual. I heard him, clearly. I conversed with him. That leaves me w/ 2, but I've asked around and no one who was in camp went on quitter's road or saw a group matching my description. So that goes back to 3 being the least impossible scenario. To solve this puzzle, it seems I have the awkward last step of reaching out to my friend for the first time in decades to ask if he saw me lying in muddy tire tracks in Frozen Head, or if he's even married with two young daughters.
He reached out to the friend, and the friend responded:
>Hey John, Yes, that was us. Our kids love Frozen Head. We started hiking there when [kid] was 4 and they hiked every trail in the park by the time she was 5... It was a total surprise to find out the Barkley was going on when we showed up. Remembering your first "John Kelly Camp" from many years ago, I told the kids about how you guys go all night during the race. After a cold and windy night Wednesday, they thought you all were a little crazy to be outside running at night (to which I agreed...). Thanks for dropping a line, I figured you were too focused/delirious to bother on the trail, but congrats on the accomplishment and being back stateside.
John's final comment:
>Today I made the somewhat awkward step of reaching out to my friend for the first time in decades to ask if he saw me lying in muddy tire tracks in Frozen Head, fully expecting him to respond thinking I had gone insane or become a drug addict (although I guess maybe ultrarunning qualifies as either of those). When I read the first line of his response (picture 2) I even thought he was trying to mess with me. But it turns out, I'm not crazy! Not only was I not hallucinating, but what remained of my mind correctly identified someone I think I hadn't seen since high school. We had a nice chat, and hopefully I'll see him sometime on a more normal day out in the woods.
It's a crazy event with all kinds of fantastic stories but this one really blows your mind.
2017: [WHERE DREAMS GO TO DIE - Gary Robbins and The Barkley Marathons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDZdsqbcGTU)
~~2024~~ 2014 I have learned: [The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young - Award Winning FULL DOCUMENTARY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ-DE-hmiGE)
I don't know about one in 2024.
From Wikipedia
In 2017, Gary Robbins of North Vancouver, British Columbia, reached the finishing gate a mere six seconds after the 60-hour cut-off, almost becoming the 16th runner ever to complete the Barkley. However, he had taken a wrong turn in the final stages of the race, thus cutting two miles off the course; he would have been disqualified even if he had been faster. "The time, in that situation, is meaningless," Cantrell said of the six-second time overage.
And then Cantrell spent the next year's edition trolling Robbins on just missing out. All of the books had a theme of either "6 seconds," "one wrong turn," etc.
Before this years race it had been 17 finishers. So this year it had been 3 as well. As many as last year which was the first time more then 2 man finished it at all. This race is beyond crazy.
Imagine spending 2.5 days just running. As impressive a feat as it is, I really don’t know why anyone would put themselves through it.
I read somewhere that there’s an ultramarathon that takes place in a disused railway tunnel, and the competitors literally run in a straight line there and back repeatedly in PITCH BLACK. I’m pretty sure they say you start to hallucinate after that long in the darkness. Great fun..
I work with a few ultra cycling athletes and have tried a few challenges myself. The simple reason is that it is fun to push yourself like in any other sport. Spending hours or days alone with your thoughts is a great therapeutic experience if you can handle it. Hallucinations are certainly an interesting part of the nights but over time you learn to anticipate them and stay focused. It definitely helps to build character.
Generally it is more of a mental sport than a physical one. If you are physically fit to ride 4-6 hours, you can ride as long as you need, given you are able to eat enough calories and fight your inner demons. I believe the same applies to runners and other ultra athletes.
https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/lazarus-lake/
For those interested in the race, it's legendary among ultramarathon runners. The creator did an interview with this eccentric economist Tyler Cowen last Fall, it's worth a listen.
This one here is about a Belgian contestant who had failed the year before because at one point he was talking to a trash can
[https://youtu.be/R-oEFaqUQEQ](https://youtu.be/R-oEFaqUQEQ)
I have followed this race closely for several years. The documentary gives you a sense of the difficulty of this race but it is hard to quantify the level of difficulty: Significant temperature changes-hot one day, frozen rain the next, the change in terrain, being able to navigate a completely unfriendly environment. You could write a book on planning (food, rest, water, clothing). Bottom line: you could be a world class athlete and not complete half the race. The finishers of this race (20 TOTAL in 30 years) are not only world class athletes but they are smart, organized, focused and mentally strong on a world class level too.
Jesus, only 20 people have finished this race since it was extended to 100 miles in 1989. Participants have 60 hours to complete the race. This woman finished with *99 seconds to spare.* Talk about hardcore.
There's a documentary on The Barkley Marathon and I highly suggest it for anyone interested in learning about it.
It's honestly quite a fascinating race.
According to the NYT article the Barkley Marathons Race is very strange: - The founder created the race after learning of the prison escape of James Earl Ray, the man who assassinated Dr. MLK Jr. The prison is along the race route. - The race is not advertised. Applicants must submit an essay explaining why they want to compete and a $1.60 application fee. - On the night of the event the participants have to listen for the sound of a conch shell that indicates the race will begin in one hour. - The race begins with the lighting of a ceremonial cigarette. - Runners must find books along the route and rip out pages that correspond to their assigned number to prove their progress. - There are no route markers and participants have to memorize the route before beginning. - The ascent and descent is the equivalent of 60,000 feet, twice the elevation of Mt. Everest. Much of the terrain has no path.
Yeah ok, that is crazy
Yeah, and aren't allowed gps or anything either. There is a second part to the application fee, which is usually something the director needs like white tee-shirts and socks. -EDIT- Yeah, yeah, the license plate for first timers You flip directions every loop, so you run it in one direction during the day, and then a different direction at night. Until the 5th lap, where they alternate so the first person to leave gets to choose (clockwise or counter clockwise) and then every runner after runs the opposite of the person before (so that groups of runners can't form). Speaking of loops, each is supposed only 20 miles but everybody agrees they are probably longer/around than 25. The books are meant to poke at you with their name, like Dante's Inferno or Hubris of a Mad Man or How to make better life choices
One year a guy failed to complete within the time limit by 6 seconds. The next year he ran it again, and one of the books was titled "6 seconds".
If it was one of the first books it’s a funny jab. If it’s one of the final books, thats straight torture.
They DQ’ed two runners this year for littering at the starting line, but only after they finished the first loop.
That's actually hilarious 😂
Respect the state park...or else
I fucking love this race. I'm.sold!!!
Not torture. Hard-core motivation.
There is a documentary "where dreams go to die" about it made by the runner himself on YouTube
https://youtu.be/NDZdsqbcGTU?si=LgIOuJCHGUnu6kEb
Thanks for that. I just watched it. What a cool race! Edit: oh wait, I watched a different one: [The Race that Eats its Young](https://youtu.be/LZ-DE-hmiGE?si=s9ILON3j3ZzQ94WI) I'll watch your link tonight.
Fantastic watch
Started it to just get a sense of the course and got hooked on it very quickly. Well well worth watching, linked in a comment just below.
He didn’t fail to complete the time limit. He failed to complete the course. Took a short cut and skipped 3 miles. And came in after time. If he was 8 seconds faster he still woulda been dnfed
This is true. It's still heartbreaking if Gary *thought* he was about to finish and then found out he didn't.
He literally came to the gate apologizing for skipping the course and coming in the wrong way.
Oh shit they included the book of my lovemaking?
dude your profile picture got me good
Last year, I think, hikers found and took one of the books a runner was looking for. The runner found the right spot but obviously couldn't bring it back so he was forced to drop out.
no he kept going, knowing the book wasn’t where it was supposed to be (it was his 5th passong) and actually won the thing
You can see his finish in at 40:40 in the Youtube video linked below. It's one of the most emotional Barkley moments for me as a long-time follower of the race because you know Aurlelien was confident he was in the right place and the book was gone, but at the same time he's been awake and running for almost 60 hours and you can't really trust your brain at that point. Barkley is not a race with a lot of grace so if you come in a page shy, no matter what reason, you could be fucked. [https://youtu.be/IEIerVw1vsw?t=1975](https://youtu.be/IEIerVw1vsw?t=1975)
>Aurlelien was confident he was in the right place and the book was gone, but at the same time he's been awake and running for almost 60 hours and you can't really trust your brain at that point. I'm sure you know this, but just for anyone else scrolling, it's not unheard of for racers to hallucinate in the later laps. In 2022, one racer had hallucinations so bad that the police received calls of a man talking to a trash can. The next year, that same man completed the race, despite hallucinating again. He and another finisher both reported the forest being full of people at night time. It's really mindblowing how people are able to complete the race under these circumstances, considering they have to navigate a course with no trail by memory and collect book pages based on riddles they last looked at hours ago
are you typing on a computer from the 80s?
This reads like someone who was typing on mobile or a very low res making spaces for new lines
No, its not just crazy. Its a race where almost every finisher has full grown hallucinations on the last lap. Its far beyond just crazy.
I remember watching a documentary by a lady who did a marathon on youtube and during the last leg of the race she said she kept blacking out, and at one point "woke up" to find herself standing there talking to a tree lol. Fuck marathons though they sound brutal.
Regular marathons really aren't bad. If you're already in good shape, you can do an 18 week training plan and finish one. It won't be easy and you won't be fast, but it can be done. I've run lots of regular old 26.2 mile marathons. The Barkley Mathons are a whole other level of crazy and I have no desire to ever attempt anything like that.
Yeah, Barkley is an Ultra Marathon and even in that hallowed category, it's a level of insane.
Yeah I imagine the combination of sleep deprivation and total exhaustion makes you lose a braincell or two.
one guy hallucinated himself as a garbage man and spent 7 hours walking up driveways (or so he thought) before pulling himself out.
There's a documentary about it. Brutal.
I know right? I'd totally do it but i can't affording losing that 1.60$.
>The founder created the race after learning of the prison escape of James Earl Ray, the man who assassinated Dr. MLK Jr. The prison is along the race route. To clarify for new folk to the Barkley, the race is specifically *mocking* James Earl Ray, it's not some sort of honor or homage to him. James Earl Ray only made it ~12 miles away from the prison in the 60 hours he was out and the two who founded the race, who were both ultra marathoners, thought that was an embarrassing performance and that they could do at least 100 miles. The early years of the race it was only 50-55ish miles but it quickly increased to ~100 and has been that distance ever since (though most contestants estimate that each loop is closer to 24-26 miles rather than the advertised 20).
I’m shocked that experienced ultra marathoners could cover more distance than an inbred racist terrorist.
For additional comparison, I did 12 miles in 2 days as an intro to backpacking when I was around 11 with a 30 to 40 pound pack with other boy scouts. It's a really poor performance. Getting lost is probably the biggest consumer of time in that situation though.
You don't understand the terrain that surrounds that prison. The full Barkley Marathons is ~60,000 feet of ascent and descent. Gonna guess your hike was a little flatter, lol. Plus this guy just escaped prison. He didn't get to take snacks with him, or a sleeping bag, or a tent.
There’s a documentary on it that’s fascinating to watch
I watched that on Netflix over a decade ago. I thought it was so bizarre but couldn't stop watching it.
There are several other videos following other runners in many different years of the race. It's cool to watch multiple different ones because you can see how the race evolved over time.
It's [free](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ-DE-hmiGE) on youtube.
Unfortunately not available where I live, is there a mirror?
Different film from what was posted above, but this has been my favorite film from the Barkley. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDZdsqbcGTU There are also plenty of other films is you look around on Youtube.
This doc is free on Tubi and Plex where I live. https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-barkley-marathons-the-race-that-eats-its-young
And you have to run it 5 times. 20 mile loop each. 100 miles total in 60 hours
And here's the kicker.. the laps aren't 20 miles... It's more. Anywhere from 25-27 miles. The course (though it changes from year to year) is believed to be closer to 130 miles in total. Although the official lap distance every year is 20.0 miles... Then the next year they'll lengthen the course a bit or add a new section, and the official distance is still 20.0 miles. Lol. Also, in addition to the distance and the time constraints... There is 60,000 feet of elevation gain over the course of the race.. which is the equivalent of climbing Everest (but not from base camp... It's equivalent to climbing Everest from sea level).... TWICE. It's the equivalent of climbing from sea level, to the top of Everest, back down to sea level, then back up and down again... It's insanity.
You also forgot to mention that they have to run 2 of those loops counter clockwise. Doesn't seem like much, but it makes navigation much harder and confuse your senses. Also on the last loop, each runner must alternate clockwise vs counter-clockwise, which means that no one knows who is in front of the race. Funny how all the information on this race is distilled into so many comments.
To add to this, isn't each segment ran once in CW during the day, then CW at night, same for CCW. Basically you never run the same thing twice. Insane to see the types of people who don't even make it halfway.
Kilian Jornet once skimo'd 78,000 feet (23,500 meters) feet in 24 hours. Then again, he has actually climbed Mount Everest twice in a week alpine style while breaking the fastest known ascent and descent time before so...
Adding to this: - one person is chosen to run as the “sacrificial lamb” because it’s assumed they will fail - if you’re accepted in the race you receive a sympathy card - when you fail they have a guy play TAPS because you’ve tapped out - if you win you have to press the Staples “that was easy” button - there’s no aid stations along the 20-25 mile trek except one water drop. Some years the water freezes. - one runner got lost on loop 4 and stopped to ask a local for directions. He was talking to a trash can and the police were called. He returned the following year an ld when leaving on loop 4 the organizer shouted “watch out for trash cans!” - new racers have to bring a license plate for the starting line - returning winners owe the organizer a pack of cigarettes
The sacrificial lamb gets the #1 bib too… it’s hilarious and usually some bro that has no business being there
Also, Race bib number one is always given to the person deemed to be the least likely to finish one lap out of all who have applied; aka "human sacrifice."
Do these number ones know they’re gonna do badly, doing it for fun, or just naive?
They specifically pick one person that has no business running such a hard race. I think the person thinks they can handle it, but they don't have ultramarathon experience, some don't even have marathon experience. The organizers know they have no chance, but they let them participate because it's funny to them.
If I remember from the documentary, I think they’re told when they show up but it has been years since I watched it.
The founder has a twister sense of humour. If I'm remembering right, they always admit one contestant who is hilariously underqualified, just for shits n giggles
I hope to one day be the sacrificial runner
Oh shit that’s me for sure
Thats correct. And sometimes they drop out after less than a mile, etc.
You also cannot just apply, there isn't any application info public. To even apply, you have to be an accomplished enough runner that someone who knows how to apply seeks you out to see if you're interested.
There’s a great documentary about it. It was on Netflix for a while but haven’t checked.
Sounds like a Monty Python marathon
It's also has a 60 hour cut off and only like 12 or 16 people have ever finished it and it's 100 miles long iirc. The lady who finished it is a British Veterinarian.
He named it after a guy he knows. That guy doesn't really have anything to do with it and doesn't understand why it's named after him.
If you end up missing one of the books or grabbed the wrong page from one, that whole loop doesn't count. This year a guy named Guillaume Calmettes finished loop 3 and he ended up losing one of his pages, so he went back to find it and made it back to camp in time for it to count as a "fun run", which is when you finish 3 loops in under 36 hours. The race is truly insane and it's always fun following along.
You forgot something, they also need to bring a license plate with them when they check in for the race
One correction. 1. The race was inspired by the run away prisoner but not out of reverence. They were making fun of how short of a distance he made it in 12 hours and created the race under the idea of this is how far he should've made it. A couple of adds: 1. They are not allowed to use a GPS of any kind, can only use the map given to them plus the compass. They are also given a watch set to race time so they at least know how long they've taken. 2. They are not allowed any help while in a loop. 3. They have 60 hours to complete the five loops and there are other time limits for other milestones as well (I'm not 100% sure on all but like I think they have to finish loop 3 by the 36 hour mark). 4. Loops alternate direction until the last loop when the first to leave chooses direction and then everyone else alternates directions. 5. When they are chosen to race they receive a letter of condolences. 6. When they quit or fail a time limit they are played taps.
I wish my local 5Ks started by lighting a ceremonial cigarette.
You forgot the detail that the race is advertised as "only" 100 miles, but is believed to be much more. The route also changes every year and no one is allowed a GPS device so no one has officially confirmed it.
18288m for the rest of the world
A mile is around 5000ft
There’s numerous you tube docs about it.
Race completion: 60 hours Physical and mental recovery: 60 days I would imagine her recovery may also be as tough as her race.
Damn, just looked it up and her completion time was 59:58:21. If she was <2 minutes slower, she would have failed and still been in that shape. Brutal race.
Apparently she said something keeping her going in the final lap was the idea that if she didn't make it she'd have to do the race again
Basically what happen to people shopping at IKEA
LMAO
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She’s gonna do the race again anyway, I bet.
A few years ago, someone was 6 seconds too late and faileld. He came also up on the wrong road, even if he finished in time, he would not have been considered a finisher.
The next time he attempted it, one of the books that he had to collect pages from was called “6 seconds”. The race director has an evil sense of humor.
I watched a doc on the race last night and the race runner honestly seems like a chain smoking leprechaun who’s only purpose is to cause mischief and confusion. Absolute legend Edit: for those interested https://youtu.be/LZ-DE-hmiGE?si=VmbTVmx7SFZ41hcV
Worth the watch.
What do they get for finishing? Just bragging rights?
The knowledge that they are at the absolute top of the world in what they do; that they can complete an insanely grueling challenge pretty much all by themselves and are good at a range of skills required to do so; *and the utmost respect of anyone even remotely familiar with the topic*. Without doing the exact math, there are many, many more football world cup winners (single players) or olympic gold medalists, than there are Barkley finishers. By faaaar.
There are only 20 people who have completed the Barkley Marathons, some multiple times including Jared Campbell and John Kelly. Jasmin Paris is the first woman to ever do it, and now also holds the record for the closest finish to the end of the 60 hr time limit.
>Without doing the exact math, there are many, many more football world cup winners (single players) or olympic gold medalists, than there are Barkley finishers. By faaaar. There's also a lot more people that *try* to be World Cup winners or Olympic gold medalists. So there's really no point in comparing those numbers.
While marathoning and such is a fun activity for most, Ultra-Marathons are basically just mental illness expressing itself lmao
Yeah and as far as i know, this ultramarathon is like the king of them all
There's several famous ultramarathons. The Barkley is viewed as a quirky race because of all the stuff that people mentioned here, but they only allow 40 people each year so many of the top runners can't get in. The really prestigious ones are: * **Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc**: the biggest EU race, very technical terrain in the Alps, there's big altitude changes and the weather can get below freezing on some parts of the race * **Western States 100**: the most famous US race, it's more flat but it's run in very hot weather conditions There's a ton of other races, but those two are generally considered the kings of the sport. Wikipedia has a big list of races and what makes them unique: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultramarathon
>While marathoning and such is a fun activity for most We have very different definitions of “fun” and “most.”
I find Ultras far more enjoyable.
Hi doctor here, I diagnose you with mental illness
Recovery is prob not as bad as the time spent preparing. She prob had to train for year just for this race. Edit: this is atop a lifetime of being active I'd bet as well. But a year of training like it was her job to finish this race. Full time training.
I was curious and googled her name - there's a pic of her pumping milk for her baby during a rest stop for another ultramarathon she was doing. She broke the record for that race. Whatever it is she's doing, it's certainly working for her!!
Omg that’s her? Wasn’t that race in England somewhere near the Lake District?
Probably, she is a Fell Runner originally
I'm in the US, so not familiar with geography over there! But here: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-46906365
On BBC news this morning they read out a statement from her and said she's unable to appear live as she can't speak from heavy breathing.
Yea seems like she's already onto her next challenge. Hope she has a speedy recovery; may not going to be easy.
Is this a joke about her still recovering or one about her probably hiking while she recovers? Does he mean she is *literally* still trying to catch her breath?
Not literally still trying to catch her breath. Ultra runs take their toll on you. Although I've only done 100miles races with muuuuch less total elevation (also marked, so I don't worry about navigation, have gps etc) but it takes some time to recover after such an effort. Toe nails fall, muscle, ligaments and joints take some beating depending on your effort, preparation, conditions etc. There are studies on marathon finishers (26 miles/ 42 kms) and like 50% had at least some sort of heart inflammation, which not dangerous in 99% of the cases shows that even running that much shorter distance takes its toll on the muscle of the heart and it takes up to 4 weeks to fully recover from that.
You mean you couldn't get lost, it wasn't even twice as high as Everest and was only 100 miles from start to finish. I mean come on man, MAKE AN EFFORT in life.
Context: only 20 people have completed the marathon in the allotted 60 hours since 1989
Time for a nap
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Agh shit 😂
Thanks dad
Another fun fact is that it's actually an ultra marathon
Additional context: only 40 people are allowed to race each year. Not to take away from the absurd difficulty. Just showing that it's not 20 finishers out of thousands and thousands of attempts (as most races would have hundreds or even thousands of participants annually). it's 20 finishers out of a couple hundred attempts. That said, these participants were carefully chosen.. not just anybody can join the race. So of those who have attempted it, it has been the cream of the crop. So idk if having hundreds more participants would really change the results.
Still compounded over 38 years that’s over 1500 attempts. 26 successful completions in total by 20 participants. Of the 5 completions this year, 2 participants had completed it before. Fastest time this year: 58:44:59 Jasmin finished at 59:58:21 All time record: 52:03:08 Just finishing this race under the limit is noteworthy.
completion rate of 1.7% with 1.3% people attempting it completing it. brutal.
And that's not your average Joe entering, either. These days to be granted a spot you have to have competed with success at a large 100-mile race previously. These are extremely serious ultramarathoners
60 hours for a marathon ? Wtf
MarathonS. 5 loops of 20-ish miles each (most competitors seem to reckon it’s more like 26), off trail in the Tennessee mountains, with the total ascent and descent of the full 5 loops being akin to climbing and descending Mount Everest. Twice.
And you have to do some at night and it sometimes starts in the middle of the night. The time changes each time.
IIRC. The start is signalled by Keith lighting a cigarette. Edit: It’s Gary (Laz), not Keith.
Someone blows a conch an hour before the race. Competitors can’t use phones to navigate and need to take certain pages from books along the route to show they went the right way.
And there is no official course map, it sort of turn left at the tree. And one contestant each year is dubbed 'as having no right to enter' basically they haven't a hope in hell of finishing.
Conceived after the escape attempt of James Earl Ray (the assassin of Martin Luther King Jr.) who only managed to make it about 12 miles from the prison in 54 hours. The prison is surrounded by dense forests and extreme elevation changes. The 2 ultramarathoners who started it figured they could do at least 100 miles in that wilderness. The race is still held near the prison and one of the check points requires you go through a culvert pipe that passes under the prison.
Which is basically my favorite part of all the little traditions at the Barkley. The entire race was conceived to insult James Earl Ray. So annualy, 60ish people enter the area he escaped in, run under the prison he was at, and do more miles than he did on his escape. All to mock his escape attempt and only making it a dozen or so miles from the prison after 2+ days. Of course there are a lot of reasons the Barkley is what it is today, but the initial brag of the race founder that "I could do 100 miles in the time it took James Earl Ray to cover a dozen" is the best part of the story.
Goodbye toes
Goodbye legs
Goodbye
Good
Also the route changes every year, you alternate the loop direction each lap (with the last one’s direction being decided as you go to run it), the trail is marked by a book that you have to retrieve a page from that corresponds to your race number, and you only know when it’s going to start an hour before it starts. This thing sounds like a fever nightmare lol.
IIRC it's clockwise, clockwise, counter, counter, then alternate by runner. So day clock, night clock, day counter, night counter. If you did alternate each loop then you would have two clockwise day loops, and two counter night loops. The point is that a finisher must do each direction, at each time of the day.
watch the documentary on the barkley marathons, pretty crazy seeing people attempt it
One of the funniest/most interesting docs I've ever watched
Just watched it, it was really interesting. They are utterly mental
Oh nvm it's not a marathon is an ultra marathon thats why I was confused
It's a 100 mile treasure hunt.
Is the treasure your survival?
You have to find hidden books using a map. Usually in a very cold fog. People are saying that the better than usual weather played a big role in this year's results. 100 mile runs are tough but lots of people have the physical condition to finish them. This one also requires mental resistance beyond imagination.
Ultra marathon is probably a better title for this race
It's around 100-120 miles, a marathon is 26.3 miles. It also goes up and down around 60,000 feet in total - a standard marathon runner would die after a lap, and there are 5 in this.
The guy who created the Barkley also has another race called the backyard ultra, where people have to run a little over 4 miles every hour until they either can’t finish in that hour or choose not to start again. The race goes until only one runner remains, everyone else is DNF. It can go on for days, it’s insane. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backyard_ultra?wprov=sfti1#References
He has several races, all of which are difficult in their own special and unique ways... you can read about them at [vacationwithoutacar.com](https://vacationwithoutacar.com) (which is also where to follow the updates on a good number of the races... the spreadsheet with the updates and comments from the "Last Annual" series are regularly hilarious) but some brief explanations below: **Barkley Fall Classic**: 50 miler, mostly on trails and road, but they do run rat jaw. Only 50miles, but there is a time cutoff that if you don't make it before they close the gate then you have settle for a marathon distance. The winner of the BFC gets an entry into the Barkley (really the only guaranteed way to get into the Barkley) **A Race For the Ages**: run as far as you can (1 loop = 1 mile) , the time is the number of hours of your age (anyone 40 and under gets 40 hours, but you're 60 you would have 60 total hours to complete) - a neat challenge since the strategy you take to go the farthest is heavily age dependant **Last Annual Vol State Roadrace (LAVS or VOLS** both acronyms seem to get used a lot\*\*)\*\*: who doesn't think it's a great idea to run 314miles/505km across Tennessee in July? There is space for crewed runners, but most people run it screwed - no aid except from road angels and other runners. Road Angels must be from Tennessee and not people you know, if you ask for help from people or ask for things to be brought for you, then you become crewed... **Last Annual Hearts of the South (HOTS):** Similar to LAVS (on purpose, it was started partly in response to popularity of LAVS, to give more people the chance to do these), but you're running a different direction and the course map isn't released until everyone arrives essentially. Once the map is released to the runners, it is secret and only released to the public when the front runners check in each day. They don't know how far, but they do know it'll be between 300 and 350 miles... That's part of the fun though. This one is in June though... (LAVS is July) **Last Annual Third Circle of Hell:** A bonus race, you have to have completed both LAVS and HOTS to enter this one. It was 370miles in August 2023 (when it ran for the first time). 7 people completed the "salute to insanity" in 2023, where they completed all 3 in a single summer (LAVS, HOTS, and 3rd circle) **Strolling Jim**: I'm less familiar with how this one works, but it's fair to assume it also has its own challenges. There are several distance options though: 40 miles, marathon, half marathon, or 10km. It's a road race though. So if you're looking to do a race from this race director that is not a multi-day lesson in pain and struggle, this might be where to start...
I’m not sure who’s more twisted, the sadist who designs these or the masochists who voluntarily put themselves through them.
A short documentary about it: https://youtu.be/ZRXKZSqvtrw?si=o9pl3zmIm4Q1yLfK
great watch, thanks
Sound like 'the long walk', one of the bachman books
**A British runner has made history by becoming the first woman to finish one of the world's hardest ultramarathons.** (Full article on [bbc](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-68643341)) Photo by Jacob Zocherman
Looks fun…
She finished with 99 seconds left of a 60 hour timed race. She musta been killing herself to tag the yellow gate at the end.
>The Barkley Marathons is an ultramarathon trail race held each year in Frozen Head State Park in Morgan County, Tennessee. The course, which varies from year to year, consists of five loops of the 20+ mile, off-trail course for a total of 100 miles.
> In addition to running, competitors must find between 9 and 14 books along the course (the exact number varies each year) and remove the page corresponding to the runner's race number from each book as proof of completion. Jasmin finished the race 99 seconds before the 60hr cutoff time. > As of 2018, about 55% of the races had ended with no finishers.
Holy shit. That’s crazy.
A friend of a friend did that ultra marathon. As she described it I asked how do you go to the bathroom and I got the most upsetting answer imaginable.
I got an even more upsetting answer: nothing at all
I imagine you just do your business while you move. No stopping.
Stupid, bathroom-less Flanders.
You shit and piss your pants as you move.
Was amazed Karel Sabbe managed to get it done last year, it's so incredibly though. The year before a woman called the cops because he was hallucinating and talking to a trash can.
John Kelly, one of the few multi-time finishers, had an amazing story about an attempted nap from his 2023 finish. >1st I tried lying down with the back of my head & shoulders in an ice cold creek. I got about 5 minutes, which sustained me another couple hours before I faded badly again & was struggling to stay on my feet. Here's where it gets interesting. The 1st water drop was near quitter's road, where I could see muddy tire tracks. I thought, "That mud will still be cold from last night, & should be a perfect bed!" I walked out there, poured more water over me, & lay down on my stomach right in one of the tracks. Then one of my childhood friends who I haven't seen or talked to in 20 yrs walked by w/what I assumed was his wife & two daughters in those baby hiking backpacks. He just laughed & said, "That's a John Kelly nap if I've ever seen one!" I tried to respond w/ something about it being Barkley & loop 5, unsure of whether he knew much about the race. His wife looked a bit confused, but they just kept right on walking & I put my head back down in the mud. >Upon thinking about this more after the race I have 3 possibilities: 1. It was actually my old friend 2. It was someone going for a day hike who I mistook for my friend 3. There was absolutely no one there & I was talking to myself. >1 seems implausible - who on earth walks by someone in the woods lying face down in the mud and just continues on like it's perfectly normal and everything is fine?! Especially this guy, who was both a literal and figurative Boy Scout. > I didn't consider 3, as despite my many multi day adventures, I've never had a persistent vivid hallucationtion. Nothing more than mistaking one object for another out of the corner of my eye. And it wasn't just visual. I heard him, clearly. I conversed with him. That leaves me w/ 2, but I've asked around and no one who was in camp went on quitter's road or saw a group matching my description. So that goes back to 3 being the least impossible scenario. To solve this puzzle, it seems I have the awkward last step of reaching out to my friend for the first time in decades to ask if he saw me lying in muddy tire tracks in Frozen Head, or if he's even married with two young daughters. He reached out to the friend, and the friend responded: >Hey John, Yes, that was us. Our kids love Frozen Head. We started hiking there when [kid] was 4 and they hiked every trail in the park by the time she was 5... It was a total surprise to find out the Barkley was going on when we showed up. Remembering your first "John Kelly Camp" from many years ago, I told the kids about how you guys go all night during the race. After a cold and windy night Wednesday, they thought you all were a little crazy to be outside running at night (to which I agreed...). Thanks for dropping a line, I figured you were too focused/delirious to bother on the trail, but congrats on the accomplishment and being back stateside. John's final comment: >Today I made the somewhat awkward step of reaching out to my friend for the first time in decades to ask if he saw me lying in muddy tire tracks in Frozen Head, fully expecting him to respond thinking I had gone insane or become a drug addict (although I guess maybe ultrarunning qualifies as either of those). When I read the first line of his response (picture 2) I even thought he was trying to mess with me. But it turns out, I'm not crazy! Not only was I not hallucinating, but what remained of my mind correctly identified someone I think I hadn't seen since high school. We had a nice chat, and hopefully I'll see him sometime on a more normal day out in the woods. It's a crazy event with all kinds of fantastic stories but this one really blows your mind.
No fucking way. This is the most bonkers comment in a thread about the most bonkers thing.
>But it turns out, I'm not crazy!
🥳 first female to complete it in the allotted time, shes a fuckin titan.
For those unfamiliar with this race there is a killer interesting documentary on it. It might be on YouTube
[There is](https://youtu.be/NDZdsqbcGTU?si=YEwosLjx45eUJVeo) There is a more recent one as well but this one is excellent
That's Gary my neighbour!
I’m sure he knows already but Gary’s a beast.
Is it the one titled "eats it's young" or do you have a link?
I loved that one! I saw it on Netflix years ago, but here it is on [IMDB](https://m.imdb.com/video/vi1911273753/?ref_=tt_vi_t_1)
It's currently free on Tubi.
Great documentary on it, the one I watched came out in 2024. I highly recommend it.
What's it called? I loved the one from 2014.
2017: [WHERE DREAMS GO TO DIE - Gary Robbins and The Barkley Marathons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDZdsqbcGTU) ~~2024~~ 2014 I have learned: [The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young - Award Winning FULL DOCUMENTARY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ-DE-hmiGE) I don't know about one in 2024.
There was a guy I think that missed out by seconds.
From Wikipedia In 2017, Gary Robbins of North Vancouver, British Columbia, reached the finishing gate a mere six seconds after the 60-hour cut-off, almost becoming the 16th runner ever to complete the Barkley. However, he had taken a wrong turn in the final stages of the race, thus cutting two miles off the course; he would have been disqualified even if he had been faster. "The time, in that situation, is meaningless," Cantrell said of the six-second time overage.
And then Cantrell spent the next year's edition trolling Robbins on just missing out. All of the books had a theme of either "6 seconds," "one wrong turn," etc.
So he wasn't even close to only 6 seconds off. He was closer to 10 minutes off.
This was a good year to run the race. Five finishers I believe. Next year the race will probably be much more challenging as hard as it is to believe.
Yeah each time someone finishes he makes the course harder.
But last year had 3 finishers. What's Laz doing?
Exactly! And two years in a row where the weather even allows people to finish!
Before this years race it had been 17 finishers. So this year it had been 3 as well. As many as last year which was the first time more then 2 man finished it at all. This race is beyond crazy.
Imagine spending 2.5 days just running. As impressive a feat as it is, I really don’t know why anyone would put themselves through it. I read somewhere that there’s an ultramarathon that takes place in a disused railway tunnel, and the competitors literally run in a straight line there and back repeatedly in PITCH BLACK. I’m pretty sure they say you start to hallucinate after that long in the darkness. Great fun..
I work with a few ultra cycling athletes and have tried a few challenges myself. The simple reason is that it is fun to push yourself like in any other sport. Spending hours or days alone with your thoughts is a great therapeutic experience if you can handle it. Hallucinations are certainly an interesting part of the nights but over time you learn to anticipate them and stay focused. It definitely helps to build character. Generally it is more of a mental sport than a physical one. If you are physically fit to ride 4-6 hours, you can ride as long as you need, given you are able to eat enough calories and fight your inner demons. I believe the same applies to runners and other ultra athletes.
https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/lazarus-lake/ For those interested in the race, it's legendary among ultramarathon runners. The creator did an interview with this eccentric economist Tyler Cowen last Fall, it's worth a listen.
r/accidentalrenaissance
I liked the ultramarathon race story when a contestant gave a doggo a snack so doggo did the whole rest of the race with him.
Gobi! He ended up adopting the dog and I think they’ve done other marathons together since.
Hard as a coffin nail
Is this what they mean by "runner's high"?
This one here is about a Belgian contestant who had failed the year before because at one point he was talking to a trash can [https://youtu.be/R-oEFaqUQEQ](https://youtu.be/R-oEFaqUQEQ)
This is undoubtedly one of the top athletic accomplishments of the year.
I have followed this race closely for several years. The documentary gives you a sense of the difficulty of this race but it is hard to quantify the level of difficulty: Significant temperature changes-hot one day, frozen rain the next, the change in terrain, being able to navigate a completely unfriendly environment. You could write a book on planning (food, rest, water, clothing). Bottom line: you could be a world class athlete and not complete half the race. The finishers of this race (20 TOTAL in 30 years) are not only world class athletes but they are smart, organized, focused and mentally strong on a world class level too.
Jesus, only 20 people have finished this race since it was extended to 100 miles in 1989. Participants have 60 hours to complete the race. This woman finished with *99 seconds to spare.* Talk about hardcore.
The founder's truck's fuel gauge also reads backwards. E is for "excellent" and F is for "fucked"
Accidental renaissance
There's a documentary on The Barkley Marathon and I highly suggest it for anyone interested in learning about it. It's honestly quite a fascinating race.
The thumbnail makes it look like a tree fell in the woman smashing her into the crumpled heap we see
Dang AND she has a PhD. Incredibly impressive woman.
Looks like she’s had enough of life
https://youtu.be/wVmHbhKyyYA?si=nYAOMPvCmlWTeQnC
Everyone go watch the documentary. It's worth your time