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Photo credit: David Miller
Barkley Marathons is a sporting event like no other. Staged in Frozen Head State Park, Tennessee, USA, the 100-mile sufferfest sees runners attempt to complete an ultramarathon so tough only 17 people have reached the finish line since 1986. Each year 40 chosen participants have to self-navigate their way around an unmarked lapped course, tearing pages out of hidden books as they go and returning them to enigmatic race creator & director Gary ‘Lazarus Lake’ Cantrell, otherwise known as ‘Laz’, who stands at a yellow gate waiting. The course, which can change year-to-year, is kept largely secret, just like the entry process, and the date of the event (usually late-March/early April, with spectators discouraged from attending). Each of the five laps tends to be 20-plus miles in distance and includes about 12,000ft of brutally-steep, obstacle-laden, muddy mountain ascent through thick woodland. Only 17 runners – all men – have finished the full five laps within the 60-hour time limit. The last were the trio of Aurelien Sanchez, John Kelly and Karel Sabbe, all in 2023. That was John’s second finish after his first completion in 2017. Here’s our A-Z of the truly unique Barkley Marathons: A is for Application – Runners pay a $1.60 application fee to enter. Only 40 make the cut each year. B is for Brushy – The Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary is the inspiration behind the event. It was from where, in 1977, a notorious assassin escaped, negotiating 12 miles through the unforgiving woodland before being caught 54 hours later. The story goes that Laz mockingly responded: “I could do at least 100 miles.” And so, the Barkley Marathons was born, held on the same ground that the assassin made his failed escape. C is for Conch – A large sized shell blown by Laz meaning runners have one hour until the race starts. Prior to that, all they know is that the race will start at some point between midnight and noon on race day. As for the race itself, that starts beside the yellow gate when Laz lights a cigarette. D is for Direction – Runners have to alternate between completing their laps clockwise and anti-clockwise. If a participant gets to lap five, Laz then tells them which direction their final lap must be run. E is for Essay – The entry process is kept largely secret with little or no details to be found online. One thing any hopeful must do is write an essay to Laz. F is for Fun Run – Anyone completing three laps (60 miles) within 40 hours is said to have achieved a fun run. G is for Gary Robbins – In 2017 ultra runner Gary Robbins reached the finish just six seconds after the 60-hour cut-off after taking the wrong route on his last lap. It was the same year that John Kelly became the 15th runner in history to complete all five laps within the time limit. H is for Help – Each runner can get help from their support team, with crews setting-up beyond the yellow gate. There is no support on the course, except for two unmanned water stations. I is for iconic – Of all the iconic Barkley Marathons photos, one that most people take every year is the shot of all the vehicle licence plates hung up near the registration area. Every first-timer must bring a plate from home and give it to Laz.
