Aurelien Sanchez of France, John Kelly of the U.S., and Karel Sabbe of Belgium became the first trio to complete all five loops since 2012. However, five runners completed a “Fun Run.” (See below.)įor the first time since 2017, there was a finisher at the Barkley-in fact, there were three finishers in 2023. A safe version of Barkley Marathons was held in 2021, with COVID-19 protocols in place.įor the fourth event in a row, the 2022 Barkley race had no finishers. The second time came in 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic forced park officials to cancel the race. The first time came in 2000 when an issue kept Frozen Head State Park from honoring the event permits.

In the race’s history, the event has only been canceled twice. Spectators are kept to only two spots while crews must wait at the campground near a yellow gate in Frozen Head State Park as they await runners returning. The race historically takes place around the first weekend in April, though it has been run in March before as a way to throw off spectators. Runners often return from a loop battered and cut up. The total elevation gain (60,000 feet) if you complete all five loops is the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest twice.īeing in the woods and often off blazed trails, runners are subjected to the thorns, briers, and other unpleasant plants to run through. The elevation is one of the most notable challenges of the race. (Add in the fact that it’s easy to go off course, and you can see how it becomes longer.) The distance for each is about 20 miles, according to Cantrell, though runners often dispute the claim saying it is roughly a marathon. You must complete five loops of the course to earn the title of Barkley Finisher. From there, all you need to know is it takes you through the park’s more than 24,000 acres, by the closed Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, and up and over wicked terrain and switchbacks. The course is not well-known outside of those who have attempted a loop of the fabled race, but for your main reference you should know it takes place in the Cumberland Mountains within Frozen Head State Park, which is in Wartburg, Tennessee.

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