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Barkley Marathons
The Barkley Marathons is an ultramarathon trail race held each year in Frozen Head State Park in Morgan County, Tennessee, United States. Described as "The Race That Eats Its Young", it is known for its extreme difficulty, purposefully difficult application process, and many strange traditions, having been completed only 26 times by 20 runners since 1995.
The course, which varies from year to year, consists of five loops of 20 miles (32 km) of off-trail course for a total of 100 miles (160 km) of harsh terrain. The race is limited to a 60-hour period from the start of the first loop, and takes place usually between mid-March and early April each year, though the actual start date and time is a closely held secret until the race begins. A "fun run" ultramarathon, which consists of three of the loops for a total of 60 miles, can be run within the larger race.
The Barkley course was the brainchild of Gary "Lazarus Lake" Cantrell and Karl "Raw Dog" Henn, who often hiked Frozen Head together. The idea for the race was inspired by the 1977 escape of James Earl Ray who was convicted for the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., from nearby Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary. Ray covered only about 8 miles (13 km) after escaping for 54 hours. Mocking Ray's low mileage, Cantrell said to himself, "I could do at least 100 miles". Thus, the Barkley Marathons were born. Cantrell named the race for his longtime neighbor and running companion, Barry Barkley. Barkley died in 2019 at age 70.
The race was first run in 1986. For the early years, the Barkley course was approximately 50–55 miles (80–89 km), with about 25,000–27,000 feet (7,600–8,200 m) of climbing, in a 24-hour time limit. No runners came close to finishing, which Cantrell called "a rousing success all around." In 1988, "Frozen" Ed Furtaw, from North Carolina, became the first to finish the original short version of the course with a time of 32:14. In 1989, the course was extended. The 55-mile (89 km) version was referred to as “the short one” and the 100-mile (160 km) version, “the long one.”
In 1995, the race's current 20-mile lap system was introduced, and the cut-off was extended to 60 hours, its current form. That year, Mark Williams of the United Kingdom became the first participant to finish the full longer version of the Barkley Marathons with a time of 59:28:48.
No race took place in 2002, due to the temporary closure of Frozen Head State Park. In 2009, Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary closed, allowing it to eventually become part of the Barkley course including a tunnel under the prison and a pass by the wall through which Ray escaped. By 2013, nearly 800 runners had competed in the race, with only twelve people finishing that version of the race. 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.
The 2020 event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2013, the application for the Barkley had taunted that women were "too soft" to complete the race. In 2023, British runner Jasmin Paris became the fourth woman to complete the 3 loop 'Fun Run' and only the second to start the 4th loop. Sue Johnston previously started the fourth loop in 2001. Previous women to have completed the 3-loop 'Fun Run' are Suzi Thibeault (1991, 1994), Nancy Hamilton (1991, 1993), Sue Johnston (2000, 2001) and Beverley Anderson-Abbs (2012, 2013). They have all completed the 3 loop 'Fun Run' twice. In 2024, Paris became the first woman to complete all five loops within the time limit, finishing the event 99 seconds before the 60-hour cut-off.
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Barkley Marathons
The Barkley Marathons is an ultramarathon trail race held each year in Frozen Head State Park in Morgan County, Tennessee, United States. Described as "The Race That Eats Its Young", it is known for its extreme difficulty, purposefully difficult application process, and many strange traditions, having been completed only 26 times by 20 runners since 1995.
The course, which varies from year to year, consists of five loops of 20 miles (32 km) of off-trail course for a total of 100 miles (160 km) of harsh terrain. The race is limited to a 60-hour period from the start of the first loop, and takes place usually between mid-March and early April each year, though the actual start date and time is a closely held secret until the race begins. A "fun run" ultramarathon, which consists of three of the loops for a total of 60 miles, can be run within the larger race.
The Barkley course was the brainchild of Gary "Lazarus Lake" Cantrell and Karl "Raw Dog" Henn, who often hiked Frozen Head together. The idea for the race was inspired by the 1977 escape of James Earl Ray who was convicted for the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., from nearby Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary. Ray covered only about 8 miles (13 km) after escaping for 54 hours. Mocking Ray's low mileage, Cantrell said to himself, "I could do at least 100 miles". Thus, the Barkley Marathons were born. Cantrell named the race for his longtime neighbor and running companion, Barry Barkley. Barkley died in 2019 at age 70.
The race was first run in 1986. For the early years, the Barkley course was approximately 50–55 miles (80–89 km), with about 25,000–27,000 feet (7,600–8,200 m) of climbing, in a 24-hour time limit. No runners came close to finishing, which Cantrell called "a rousing success all around." In 1988, "Frozen" Ed Furtaw, from North Carolina, became the first to finish the original short version of the course with a time of 32:14. In 1989, the course was extended. The 55-mile (89 km) version was referred to as “the short one” and the 100-mile (160 km) version, “the long one.”
In 1995, the race's current 20-mile lap system was introduced, and the cut-off was extended to 60 hours, its current form. That year, Mark Williams of the United Kingdom became the first participant to finish the full longer version of the Barkley Marathons with a time of 59:28:48.
No race took place in 2002, due to the temporary closure of Frozen Head State Park. In 2009, Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary closed, allowing it to eventually become part of the Barkley course including a tunnel under the prison and a pass by the wall through which Ray escaped. By 2013, nearly 800 runners had competed in the race, with only twelve people finishing that version of the race. 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.
The 2020 event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2013, the application for the Barkley had taunted that women were "too soft" to complete the race. In 2023, British runner Jasmin Paris became the fourth woman to complete the 3 loop 'Fun Run' and only the second to start the 4th loop. Sue Johnston previously started the fourth loop in 2001. Previous women to have completed the 3-loop 'Fun Run' are Suzi Thibeault (1991, 1994), Nancy Hamilton (1991, 1993), Sue Johnston (2000, 2001) and Beverley Anderson-Abbs (2012, 2013). They have all completed the 3 loop 'Fun Run' twice. In 2024, Paris became the first woman to complete all five loops within the time limit, finishing the event 99 seconds before the 60-hour cut-off.
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