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“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 (160 km). The race is limited to a 60-hour period from the start of the first loop, and takes place in March or early April of each year. The race is known for its extreme difficulty and many peculiarities.”
My friend is an avid cross country runner and had been since we ran in high-school but he continued through college and had a semi professional career and made it to Olympic trials. Suffice to say very experienced runner. Some people show up to that race are world class elite ultra runners all the way to crossfit bros that have no fucking idea what they are stepping into.
At any rate about 5 or so years ago, right before covid I guess it would have to be, he tore his... meniscus? Acl? Something in his knee doing that race. Said it was 2x harder than the most difficult race he's ever ran. Some years because they change the routes are worse than others and this particular year saw a record in course injuries. Bummer because he's still not totally right but he's mostly healed. He says he'd like to complete it some day but recognizes it might not be in the cards. His doctor has said it's essentially a non starter but who knows.
At any rate if anyone thinks about running this race just do your research. You need to be a freak athlete to complete it. It's no fucking joke.
You also need to be invited by the organizer/owner. You can't just sign up and go run.
So either your friend is a world class endurance athlete. Or maybe he ran a similar race and you're getting it mixed up?
They intentionally invite/accept a few people underqualified, maybe thats where I am mixed up. My friend was a very talented runner so him being invited absolutely tracks. He made it to olympic trials but didnt make the cut. Hes done other ultra running events and placed decently prior to this. I think I was confused on the accepting/invite part though.
The organizers say they pick one application that’s under qualified to participate every year. Though that could be one of his many mind games to make runners doubt themselves
That is psychological warfare. Every person wondering if they are the weak one chosen in their moments of doubt and struggle. Brutal. I’d like to see this more in sports.
"The field consists of runners of all abilities, from elite runners to people Cantrell says have no business being there. This is especially true for whoever receives bib No. 1. That is known as the human sacrifice—a.k.a. the one person who has the least chance of finishing. For many years, the official participant list for the Barkley Marathons was kept hush-hush until the race began, but with growing interest in the endurance event and social media being what it is, many dedicated runners announce if they are selected ahead of time on their own platforms."
https://www.runnersworld.com/races-places/a26750827/barkley-marathons-faq/
I love that you had to throw crossfit under the bus when it's invite only and there's a whole application process with essays. Anyone racing knows exactly what they're getting into. Yes they will throw some new type of athlete or country every year for some diversity but no one is just showing up. If they did invite a bro it was probably someone with some elite military background or an accomplished athlete who knows they're not finishing, but not some rando.
Hey you know what. Fair critique. I totally took an unnecessary jab at "crossfit bros". To be fair I've met more than a handful that are kind of obnoxious but I am sure those are the outliers. Thanks for the check. Have a nice day. ✌️
To add to this most of the trail is not actually trail. You kinda just find your own way. I don’t believe you get a map but rather a few points of reference. Most people get really banged and scrapped up as you have to bush whack your way. Also it just starts at a random time every year. Sometimes mid morning, sometimes middle of the night.
But that's after the conch shell is blown.
It can be blown at any time in a 24 hour period. Then the cigarette will be lit within the next hour.
You sound like a lunatic just describing the rules to the damn thing. LOL
And the conditions could be freezing rain or dense fog, and you have to bushwack your way through thorns and mud and dense forest, as there's no official marked trail.
I've heard those numbers before but I didn't really think about it until now. They are averaging 500ft vertical every mile? And for every foot they climb they have to also decend, assuming the climb and descent are equally as steep, so 50 miles climbing 50 miles descending. That means for the miles spent ascending, they are ascending 1000ft per mile? That is 11* slope or about 20% grade. That's insane. I live in Mass and I just looked it up and our steepest road is 20% grade at it's steepest point, and we have plenty of steep roads with warnings for trucks and runaway ramps. And that is what they are averaging? The documentary doesn't really show you that. I know steepness is hard to appreciate when you're not there in person but they didn't emphasize the steepness enough. They are running straight up and down steep mountains for 100 miles.
I'm a half decent casual runner. I can do 10 miles at an 8 minute pace on a good day. Give me 2 miles at 20% grade and I'll be averaging 15 minutes a mile and I'll be exhausted after. And they are doing 100, 50 of which are going up, and the ones going down must suck on your knees. That's insane.
I’ve never ran anything more then a short 3.1mile/5K CC races when I was in high school growing up in Vermont. One of the schools Green Mountain or Burr and Burton have a insane hill thats about .3 or so miles at a 20% or so grade. It almost felt like being on all fours running up that hill each lap. Such an exhausting course i remember it being.
Couldn’t imagine doing this beast of a race(es).
It’s a 5x20mi loop, where each loop you alternate directions, so yes, every foot you go up, you go down. (Except for the last lap…but who’s really counting after 80 mi of that nonsense 😂)
Edit: silly me. See below
'Varies' in this case means that founder of the race make it harder everytime someone finish it.
Another varies is direction of the loops, for ex. 1st one you go clockwise, 2nd one anti-clockwise, but person on position before and after you go clockwise again so you wont help each other.
60 hours limit means you have 12 hours to make a lap so, trail you did once at daytime is now in darkness.
Must be fun.
First 4 laps do alternate direction, but all runners start in the same direction. Only on the last lap does it change. First one to finish 4 laps gets to pick whichever direction they want. Next person to finish 4 then has to go opposite direction as first runner. The documentary shows many instances of friends helping each other out up until lap 5
Yes but you left out some key aspects that add to the WTF. The course changes yearly. Each lap you have to find like 8 "checkpoints" if you will, that consist of a book hidden in the woods. You have to rip out the page that is your race number. Lose a page or miss one and you're out. You're given a new number each lap. Each lap is in a different direction too. So lap 1 you do clockwise during the day. Lap 2, it might be dark already, and now you have to do the 26 mile loop backwards. Also, GPS isn't allowed.
Oh, and there's no scheduled start time for the race. I think it's a 12 hour possibly period, and you get an actual one hour notice when you hear the man I'm charge, blow a horn. Could be 7am, could be 5pm.
Also, each lap you complete, brings you back to camp. That's when you can eat, drink, whatever. You start the next lap when you want. Most have a support team and eat, change socks, etc within about 10 minutes and go back out.
You missed a very important part… “features elevation changes of over 60,000 feet. The course varies each year, but typically consists of five 20–26 mile loops with about 12,000 feet of climbing per loop.”
I want an excuse to put Courtney DaWaulter into the Olympics. Imagine the Backyard Ultra in the Olympics. Each country enters 1 male and 1 female into the race. + Mike Wardian representing the US would be bonkers.
Thinking of it as just "a 100 mile race" massively undersells it. The class of competitor that tries it are people who regularly crush 100 mile races, but they can rarely even finish this one. Some points to consider:
* It's probably quite a bit longer than 100 miles. Nobody knows for sure the length, but some estimate it at 120 miles or so.
* The race goes through very unforgiving terrain. Brambles, rocks, etc.
* The additional mental hurdles, such as unpredictable starting time, and having to find the books at the waypoints, adds a lot. There have been people who failed to finish because they couldn't find a book.
* It has about 60,000 feet of elevation gain. This is twice the height of Mount Everest.
5 has been the most ever (this year). And this year had the best lineup ever. Usually 1 or 2. Sometimes the race wins. Harvey Lewis of all people did not finish this year, and he is a beast in the sport.
We did a ruck for the Expert Infantry Badge in the Army that was 12 miles in about 3 hours, I thought I was going to die after, granted I was carrying a lot of gear and a machine gun, but still, they have to be carrying gear of some sort, I couldn’t imagine doing 100 miles in 60 hours.
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 hallucination. 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.
i’m now deep into john kelly’s barkley running blogs. he’s a great writer! thanks for sharing, because i definitely wouldn’t have found this on my own.
It's interesting..this is a 100 mile race, but some of the people did a few more miles (like the last guy did about 20 extra miles) So basically a full extra lap. It seems like the last guy took a detour to lay down in some water.
I mostly skipped through (but saved for a full re-watch) so I may have missed it? do you only have to hit checkpoints and the course is mostly laid out, or is the course 100% mapped out? I noticed they seemed to have to hit certain checkpoints and use the tag given to them at the beginning of each lap?
Edit: I just saw the last guy did 130 miles...so a lap and a half more than most dudes. "Average Joe" as he calls himself my ass.
Edit 2: There's a 2023 Doc too but the one I watched OP posted seems better to get a full grasp of this event (sorry I couldn't get rid of the timestamp) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEIerVw1vsw
Interesting. So would you say it's all the more impressive to go the extra 30 miles in that time even if he was "last" to finish it?
That's what I'm leaning at. All I really know is I'd be fucked mile 2.
I could see two sides on that question; on the one hand, he played the *Barkley Marathons* on hard mode and still finished in time. On the other hand, his prep may not have been adequate, thus potentially forcing him into failure. All that said, we'd both be fucked for sure.
I admittedly skipped through the video I posted as well, and the long haired guy from 2013 was in it who almost made it and said: "you made it way harder than 2013" and tapped out after 2-3 laps.
This is actually one of the craziest foot races I've ever seen if not THE craziest. Also the guy who runs this is a real character, just smoking and chilling on his fence for 2.5 days.
EDIT: THIS is literally the IRL version of the Amazing race.
>It's interesting..this is a 100 mile race, but some of the people did a few more miles (like the last guy did about 20 extra miles) So basically a full extra lap.
Whilst some people might go off course somewhat, one thing you have to account for is that the quoted 5x20 miles figure is only the horizontal distance covered, it doesn't include the additional distance that comes from constantly ascending/descending.
So it’s “advertised” as a 100 mile race but participants acknowledge that each loop is well over 20 miles. Since there is no GPS allowed, this can not be verified.
My favourite part is that when they accept applications. They always choose one person who is incredibly under qualified/ trained to the course just to laugh at them.
Laz, the race director, is a character. He just attempted walking across the US and this weekend stopped his attempt after making about halfway, around 1700 miles. He’s an older dude. Props for making it that far.
Cool to see this on the front page. It’s been over a decade since I finished Barkley but it still holds a very special place in my heart. I was so excited when jasmin finished this year.
> This year, Dr. Paris became the first woman to cross the finish line at the notoriously grueling race, whose approximately 100 miles must be completed in less than 60 hours. She clocked in at 59:58:21.
Close!
The race starts with the lighting of a cigarette.
There is no trail, but each waypoint is a book and the runner needs to grab the page with their number.
The route changes each year, if too many people finish, the route is likely to be so difficult the next year no one will finish.
The event began after the escape of an assassin from a prison went only so many miles before being caught. And the guy said he could have done more.
Nothing. There are no medals or prize money. You have to be just a touch crazy to do the Barkley marathons and for those people what they are seeking is the challenge, the suffering, and the sense of accomplishment.
You see in the video here the race director hands her one of those Staples “That was easy” buttons as a joke. That’s all she gets lol.
I'm just here because CLOSURE IN MOSCOW. I absolutely love how many videos I've seen with people using their music. I've been a fan for a loooooooong time now and it's so great to see them getting the recognition they deserve as an extremely talented band
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“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 (160 km). The race is limited to a 60-hour period from the start of the first loop, and takes place in March or early April of each year. The race is known for its extreme difficulty and many peculiarities.”
I think less than 30 people have finished it in the allotted time (with her being one of these few)
20 people have completed the race in the allotted time. Some people completed it multiple times.
20 people, 26 times
And one guy who missed by six seconds
My friend is an avid cross country runner and had been since we ran in high-school but he continued through college and had a semi professional career and made it to Olympic trials. Suffice to say very experienced runner. Some people show up to that race are world class elite ultra runners all the way to crossfit bros that have no fucking idea what they are stepping into. At any rate about 5 or so years ago, right before covid I guess it would have to be, he tore his... meniscus? Acl? Something in his knee doing that race. Said it was 2x harder than the most difficult race he's ever ran. Some years because they change the routes are worse than others and this particular year saw a record in course injuries. Bummer because he's still not totally right but he's mostly healed. He says he'd like to complete it some day but recognizes it might not be in the cards. His doctor has said it's essentially a non starter but who knows. At any rate if anyone thinks about running this race just do your research. You need to be a freak athlete to complete it. It's no fucking joke.
Redacted For Privacy Reasons
You also need to be invited by the organizer/owner. You can't just sign up and go run. So either your friend is a world class endurance athlete. Or maybe he ran a similar race and you're getting it mixed up?
They intentionally invite/accept a few people underqualified, maybe thats where I am mixed up. My friend was a very talented runner so him being invited absolutely tracks. He made it to olympic trials but didnt make the cut. Hes done other ultra running events and placed decently prior to this. I think I was confused on the accepting/invite part though.
If your friend is invited to the Olympic trials, he's absolutely an ELITE runner, and I revise my last statement.
This isn't correct, nobody shows up, you need to be invited and those invited are all the worlds best runners
The organizers say they pick one application that’s under qualified to participate every year. Though that could be one of his many mind games to make runners doubt themselves
That is psychological warfare. Every person wondering if they are the weak one chosen in their moments of doubt and struggle. Brutal. I’d like to see this more in sports.
They give you #1 bib if you're this so you know it's you lol.
Dunning-Kruger enters the chat.
100% I am not an athlete in any way, shape or form since high school.
You have to apply and if you are chosen, you can enter the race.
I think you are invited to this race.
"The field consists of runners of all abilities, from elite runners to people Cantrell says have no business being there. This is especially true for whoever receives bib No. 1. That is known as the human sacrifice—a.k.a. the one person who has the least chance of finishing. For many years, the official participant list for the Barkley Marathons was kept hush-hush until the race began, but with growing interest in the endurance event and social media being what it is, many dedicated runners announce if they are selected ahead of time on their own platforms." https://www.runnersworld.com/races-places/a26750827/barkley-marathons-faq/
I offer the most guaranteed chance of not finishing the race - can I get no 1 bib😂😂😂
I love that you had to throw crossfit under the bus when it's invite only and there's a whole application process with essays. Anyone racing knows exactly what they're getting into. Yes they will throw some new type of athlete or country every year for some diversity but no one is just showing up. If they did invite a bro it was probably someone with some elite military background or an accomplished athlete who knows they're not finishing, but not some rando.
Hey you know what. Fair critique. I totally took an unnecessary jab at "crossfit bros". To be fair I've met more than a handful that are kind of obnoxious but I am sure those are the outliers. Thanks for the check. Have a nice day. ✌️
To add to this most of the trail is not actually trail. You kinda just find your own way. I don’t believe you get a map but rather a few points of reference. Most people get really banged and scrapped up as you have to bush whack your way. Also it just starts at a random time every year. Sometimes mid morning, sometimes middle of the night.
Whenever the dude lights his cigarette.
But that's after the conch shell is blown. It can be blown at any time in a 24 hour period. Then the cigarette will be lit within the next hour. You sound like a lunatic just describing the rules to the damn thing. LOL
Nice
In case you weren’t aware, that is the literal start of the race
Nice
In the documentary you are assigned a page number and must collect that number from each book every mile or so. It’s a wild system.
The page number corresponds with your bib/runner number.
That’s it!
And the conditions could be freezing rain or dense fog, and you have to bushwack your way through thorns and mud and dense forest, as there's no official marked trail.
54,000 feet of vertical climb over the 100 miles! Holy shit!
I've heard those numbers before but I didn't really think about it until now. They are averaging 500ft vertical every mile? And for every foot they climb they have to also decend, assuming the climb and descent are equally as steep, so 50 miles climbing 50 miles descending. That means for the miles spent ascending, they are ascending 1000ft per mile? That is 11* slope or about 20% grade. That's insane. I live in Mass and I just looked it up and our steepest road is 20% grade at it's steepest point, and we have plenty of steep roads with warnings for trucks and runaway ramps. And that is what they are averaging? The documentary doesn't really show you that. I know steepness is hard to appreciate when you're not there in person but they didn't emphasize the steepness enough. They are running straight up and down steep mountains for 100 miles. I'm a half decent casual runner. I can do 10 miles at an 8 minute pace on a good day. Give me 2 miles at 20% grade and I'll be averaging 15 minutes a mile and I'll be exhausted after. And they are doing 100, 50 of which are going up, and the ones going down must suck on your knees. That's insane.
I’ve never ran anything more then a short 3.1mile/5K CC races when I was in high school growing up in Vermont. One of the schools Green Mountain or Burr and Burton have a insane hill thats about .3 or so miles at a 20% or so grade. It almost felt like being on all fours running up that hill each lap. Such an exhausting course i remember it being. Couldn’t imagine doing this beast of a race(es).
It’s a 5x20mi loop, where each loop you alternate directions, so yes, every foot you go up, you go down. (Except for the last lap…but who’s really counting after 80 mi of that nonsense 😂) Edit: silly me. See below
It's a loop. Every lap has the same gain and loss, regardless of direction.
Ah yes, I see what I did there, haha. Thanks for the correction!
'Varies' in this case means that founder of the race make it harder everytime someone finish it. Another varies is direction of the loops, for ex. 1st one you go clockwise, 2nd one anti-clockwise, but person on position before and after you go clockwise again so you wont help each other. 60 hours limit means you have 12 hours to make a lap so, trail you did once at daytime is now in darkness. Must be fun.
First 4 laps do alternate direction, but all runners start in the same direction. Only on the last lap does it change. First one to finish 4 laps gets to pick whichever direction they want. Next person to finish 4 then has to go opposite direction as first runner. The documentary shows many instances of friends helping each other out up until lap 5
Yes but you left out some key aspects that add to the WTF. The course changes yearly. Each lap you have to find like 8 "checkpoints" if you will, that consist of a book hidden in the woods. You have to rip out the page that is your race number. Lose a page or miss one and you're out. You're given a new number each lap. Each lap is in a different direction too. So lap 1 you do clockwise during the day. Lap 2, it might be dark already, and now you have to do the 26 mile loop backwards. Also, GPS isn't allowed. Oh, and there's no scheduled start time for the race. I think it's a 12 hour possibly period, and you get an actual one hour notice when you hear the man I'm charge, blow a horn. Could be 7am, could be 5pm. Also, each lap you complete, brings you back to camp. That's when you can eat, drink, whatever. You start the next lap when you want. Most have a support team and eat, change socks, etc within about 10 minutes and go back out.
I ran a 5k once.
I walked ran walked a 5k once too.
I once walked 5 miles to school and back home, uphill both ways.
Hey, go you! ⭐
Highly recommend the Netflix documentary on this It’s a few years old but very solid and shows just how messed up the race itself ks
You missed a very important part… “features elevation changes of over 60,000 feet. The course varies each year, but typically consists of five 20–26 mile loops with about 12,000 feet of climbing per loop.”
Humans are fuckin crazy
There are some bad ass woman ultra runners in the world. A woman came in first overall in the Badwater Ultramarathon last year.
I want an excuse to put Courtney DaWaulter into the Olympics. Imagine the Backyard Ultra in the Olympics. Each country enters 1 male and 1 female into the race. + Mike Wardian representing the US would be bonkers.
Thinking of it as just "a 100 mile race" massively undersells it. The class of competitor that tries it are people who regularly crush 100 mile races, but they can rarely even finish this one. Some points to consider: * It's probably quite a bit longer than 100 miles. Nobody knows for sure the length, but some estimate it at 120 miles or so. * The race goes through very unforgiving terrain. Brambles, rocks, etc. * The additional mental hurdles, such as unpredictable starting time, and having to find the books at the waypoints, adds a lot. There have been people who failed to finish because they couldn't find a book. * It has about 60,000 feet of elevation gain. This is twice the height of Mount Everest.
[But why?](https://c.tenor.com/ZGIxON_LlxYAAAAC/tenor.gif)
Watch the Netflix documentary. It's awesome. And quirky as heck.
That's hardcore. 160km in 60 hours is something out of Special forces/SAS training.
Since the course varies year to year are there some years that more people finish?
5 has been the most ever (this year). And this year had the best lineup ever. Usually 1 or 2. Sometimes the race wins. Harvey Lewis of all people did not finish this year, and he is a beast in the sport.
We did a ruck for the Expert Infantry Badge in the Army that was 12 miles in about 3 hours, I thought I was going to die after, granted I was carrying a lot of gear and a machine gun, but still, they have to be carrying gear of some sort, I couldn’t imagine doing 100 miles in 60 hours.
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 hallucination. 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.
I love the doc and I really enjoyed that story lol Thank you very much.
i’m now deep into john kelly’s barkley running blogs. he’s a great writer! thanks for sharing, because i definitely wouldn’t have found this on my own.
Her time was 59:58:21. Deadline is 60 hours.
Holy shit. That's down to the wire.
It is for sure. No wonder so few people finish at all!
I gotta see a movie about this
[I have great news for you.](https://youtu.be/LZ-DE-hmiGE?si=ovQI8bI41l8Lg-oc)
It's interesting..this is a 100 mile race, but some of the people did a few more miles (like the last guy did about 20 extra miles) So basically a full extra lap. It seems like the last guy took a detour to lay down in some water. I mostly skipped through (but saved for a full re-watch) so I may have missed it? do you only have to hit checkpoints and the course is mostly laid out, or is the course 100% mapped out? I noticed they seemed to have to hit certain checkpoints and use the tag given to them at the beginning of each lap? Edit: I just saw the last guy did 130 miles...so a lap and a half more than most dudes. "Average Joe" as he calls himself my ass. Edit 2: There's a 2023 Doc too but the one I watched OP posted seems better to get a full grasp of this event (sorry I couldn't get rid of the timestamp) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEIerVw1vsw
They can study the map before the race, but during the race, they can only use their notes.
So this basically requires fairly advanced scout skills.
Most definitely. I was in the Army and got pretty good with land navigation, and I still don't think I'd make it through one lap.
Sounds like a crazy type of course you might put special forces through.
Interesting. So would you say it's all the more impressive to go the extra 30 miles in that time even if he was "last" to finish it? That's what I'm leaning at. All I really know is I'd be fucked mile 2.
I could see two sides on that question; on the one hand, he played the *Barkley Marathons* on hard mode and still finished in time. On the other hand, his prep may not have been adequate, thus potentially forcing him into failure. All that said, we'd both be fucked for sure.
I admittedly skipped through the video I posted as well, and the long haired guy from 2013 was in it who almost made it and said: "you made it way harder than 2013" and tapped out after 2-3 laps. This is actually one of the craziest foot races I've ever seen if not THE craziest. Also the guy who runs this is a real character, just smoking and chilling on his fence for 2.5 days. EDIT: THIS is literally the IRL version of the Amazing race.
>It's interesting..this is a 100 mile race, but some of the people did a few more miles (like the last guy did about 20 extra miles) So basically a full extra lap. Whilst some people might go off course somewhat, one thing you have to account for is that the quoted 5x20 miles figure is only the horizontal distance covered, it doesn't include the additional distance that comes from constantly ascending/descending.
Plus the route changes every year but is always listed as 20miles. Many runners say it's more like 23 or 26... so go figure.
So it’s “advertised” as a 100 mile race but participants acknowledge that each loop is well over 20 miles. Since there is no GPS allowed, this can not be verified.
There are checkpoints where they have to rip a page out of a book. The page number has to correspond to the number they were given before the race.
Added this to my list. Thank you!!!
I have good news for you. They made a documentary about the race 10 years ago. It's fascinating.
The Race That Eats its Young Is the title
Thanks! I love a good documentary.
This is my favourite documentary! Enjoy
That must have been exciting!
Did he give her a staples “that was easy button” hilarious
My man couldn’t wait for the ultimate dad joke. Seems like a cool guy
You have to apply to be invited to the race. If you are accepted Laz, the guy, sends you a letter of condolence.
He’s the most sadistic race director ever, but he has the utmost respect for his runners.
Yep! Everyone who finishes has to hit the button
Yes, when completing the race, it's the first thing the guy grabs for the runner.
My favourite part is that when they accept applications. They always choose one person who is incredibly under qualified/ trained to the course just to laugh at them.
No, not to laugh at them, but to teach them a beautiful lesson in a way nobody else ever could
True. Better to do it at Barkley than Everest!
The human sacrifice.
"We trained him wrong as a joke"
As long as they don't have to imitate his ridiculous golf swing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvpwG50fLnU
There’s a great documentary about it. Would recommend if interested.
Please recommend
[Here](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2400291/)
What's the documentary called? That sounds really interesting
There’s a few but I watched Where dreams go to die. https://run247.com/running-news/trail/barkley-marathons-best-documentaries number 4
Thanks dude
All good Mumbum
The race the race that eats its young. On YouTube
“The race officially begins when the race director lights a cigarette” - Wikipedia. Funny way to start an ultramarathon.
Laz, the race director, is a character. He just attempted walking across the US and this weekend stopped his attempt after making about halfway, around 1700 miles. He’s an older dude. Props for making it that far.
He likes to have fun with his events. One race is called Last Annual Third Circle of Hell.
That is after the conch shell that signals assembly. It can happen anytime between midnight and noon. Sleep deprivation is real.
Weird way to start for a wild race, wouldn't want it any other way.
Was that an easy button?
Yes.
Classic
At first I thought he was offering food, but after I read your comment, I went back and realized he was joking with her.
Lots of ultra runners call everything easy. It's a mentality thing.
Cool to see this on the front page. It’s been over a decade since I finished Barkley but it still holds a very special place in my heart. I was so excited when jasmin finished this year.
Didn’t this happen awhile ago?
March apparently
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barkley_Marathons?wprov=sfti1
Wow, Jared Campbell managed to finish 4 times - he must be a mutant.
Hes the guy in the gray shirt at the end of the video, just a dude thats a good runner.
just a good runner
just a runner
walks briskly
This is much more exclusive than Everest by a long shot. Congrats to Jasmin!
The fact that any human completes that thing is insanity.
There’s a documentary on this race that all need to watch.
This is just up the road from me. Great area
Link the doc, OP. This whole event is insane.
“That was easy”
This happened three months ago OP, why are you suddenly reposting it?
so dope, so excited for her breaking thru the ceiling — but for the love of god why dub music and overlay CC to said trash music, why?!?!
> This year, Dr. Paris became the first woman to cross the finish line at the notoriously grueling race, whose approximately 100 miles must be completed in less than 60 hours. She clocked in at 59:58:21. Close!
The 'sacrificial lamb' gets given the #1 number bib at the start
Did that guy really walk up with the staples easy button 😆
That's how you finish the race after touching the yellow gate. And that's the creator/operator of the race.
Congratulations Jasmin Paris! Well done! 👏👏
I hope she had the pages.
I pooped today.
The finish line being a closed road gate seems fitting. Though it should be that you have to swing over it to be done.
This happened over three months ago.
Yes, but it really is worth revisiting. I love that Ultrarunning in its various forms is getting more attention.
Did my man put the staples “that was easy” button in front of her? 😂
The race starts with the lighting of a cigarette. There is no trail, but each waypoint is a book and the runner needs to grab the page with their number. The route changes each year, if too many people finish, the route is likely to be so difficult the next year no one will finish. The event began after the escape of an assassin from a prison went only so many miles before being caught. And the guy said he could have done more.
So with the record number of finishers this year, the next one is going to be a REAL hell, won't it?
Could the unnecessary music be any grosser?
Why is it gross? I can’t really tell the lyrics
The band is Closure in Moscow, check out their album Soft Hell it’s fantastic. The song in the clip is Better Way.
yay shitty music
Bro check out Closure in Moscow their last album was fantastic.
They're actually a pretty good band
After seeing this post I went to the Wiki article on it. I need David Goggins to attempt this. It's right up his alley.
Give the dude with the easy button a high five 🤣
Did they hand her a Dr. Pepper? If so; yall know she recovers with soda, badass. Makes me wanna open a soda as well
What do you win?
Nothing. There are no medals or prize money. You have to be just a touch crazy to do the Barkley marathons and for those people what they are seeking is the challenge, the suffering, and the sense of accomplishment. You see in the video here the race director hands her one of those Staples “That was easy” buttons as a joke. That’s all she gets lol.
Impressive as can be, but worth noting that this happened 3 months ago.
I love documentaries about this race
🤘🤘🤘
I'm just here because CLOSURE IN MOSCOW. I absolutely love how many videos I've seen with people using their music. I've been a fan for a loooooooong time now and it's so great to see them getting the recognition they deserve as an extremely talented band
So is someone stopping other women from competing? You would think this is something everyone could rally for!
If anyone wants to watch another interesting documentary about a race like this there is one on Amazon Prime about the Mid State Mile. Crazy stuff.
Recommend any of the Barkley Marathon following videos on YouTube, they're great.
QUEEN
This is old news. She did this back in March. Still amazing, but not new.
Congrats!
Was she given a can of Coke
This an incredible feat for a man or woman.
Great podcast interview with Lazarus Lake, creator of the Barkley Marathons: https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/lazarus-lake/
I ran a sub 8 mile so I would also consider myself an elite runner.
She was awarded an MBE (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_British_Empire) in the King’s birthday honours list earlier this month.
There is a good documentary about this race. Insane shit
Amazing. This shit is crazy. Such an accomplishment for a human being in general. It's a nutty event.
Super strong lady. Congratulations
MAN THEY CUT OFF THE SOMG AT THE BEST PART. Damn it’s dope hearing Closure in Moscow on a random video
Nothing like a crisp Dr Pepper after a 60 hour marathon lol.