The Barkley Marathons is one of the toughest and most mysterious endurance races in the world. Held in Frozen Head State Park, Tennessee, it’s an ultra marathon like no other – deliberately designed to be almost impossible to finish.
The course covers approximately 100 miles (though many suspect it’s longer), with a staggering 60,000 feet of elevation gain, the equivalent of climbing Everest twice. Runners must navigate the treacherous terrain using only a map and compass, all while racing against brutal cut-off times.
Since its inception in 1986, fewer than 20 people have completed all five loops within the 60-hour limit. Most participants don’t even finish a single lap. It’s a race built on secrecy, suffering, and an almost mythical reputation, attracting only the boldest ultrarunners willing to test their limits.
How did the Barkley Marathons start?
The race was conceived by Gary Cantrell, better known as Lazarus Lake, after he heard about the 1977 prison escape of James Earl Ray, the man who assassinated Martin Luther King Jr. Ray fled into the rugged terrain of Frozen Head State Park but only managed to cover eight miles in 55 hours before being recaptured.
Cantrell found this laughable – he reckoned he could do at least 100 miles in that time. From this tongue-in-cheek challenge, the Barkley Marathons was born, designed to be an almost impossible test of endurance, navigation, and mental toughness.
How do you enter the Barkley Marathons?
Unlike most races, there’s no online registration or obvious sign-up process. Hopefuls must first figure out how to apply, then submit an essay titled Why I Should Be Allowed to Run the Barkley, along with a symbolic $1.60 entry fee. First-time entrants are also required to bring a number plate from their home country or state as an offering.
If accepted, runners receive a letter of condolence because, frankly, they don’t stand a chance.
What makes the race so difficult?
First, The brutal conditions
Frozen Head State Park is a labyrinth of unmarked trails, steep ascents, and dense undergrowth. The infamous “Rat Jaw” section, an almost vertical climb through thick briars, leaves runners bloodied. With 60,000 feet of elevation gain, the course is relentless, demanding an absurd level of endurance.
Then there’s the weather. One year, runners faced freezing rain; another year, suffocating heat. The race often spans both day and night, meaning competitors must battle exhaustion, hallucinations, and disorientation as they navigate in darkness, hoping their compass skills don’t betray them.
Sleep is a luxury few can afford—pausing too long almost guarantees failure. By the later loops, many runners find themselves lost, stumbling through the woods, questioning their life choices.
Then, the absolutely wild race format
Everything about the Barkley is designed to be as frustrating as possible. The race has no official start time. Runners gather at the starting area and wait—sometimes for hours—until Lazarus Lake, the race’s eccentric founder, lights a cigarette. That’s the signal. The race has begun.
There are no waymarkers, no aid stations, and no bloody GPS running watches allowed. Instead, the course is littered with hidden books, placed in various remote locations. Each runner must locate the books and tear out the page corresponding to their race number as proof they completed the loop. Lose a page? Your race is over. Miss a book? Also over.
Cut-off times are brutally enforced. Fail to complete a lap within the designated time? You’ll hear the infamous ‘taps’—a bugle playing to signify another DNF.
Has anyone ever finished?
Yes—but barely. Since 1986, fewer than 20 runners have completed all five loops. Most years, nobody finishes at all. Even the world’s top ultrarunners have been humbled by the Barkley, some quitting in frustration, others collapsing in exhaustion before making it to the final loop.
In 2024, Jasmine Paris became the first woman ever to complete the race, finishing with just 99 seconds to spare before the 60-hour cut-off.
Paris, known for her incredible endurance and past wins in the Spine Race, held her nerve through the final lap, pushing herself to the absolute limit in a dramatic sprint finish. Her performance cemented her place in ultrarunning history, proving that even the most brutal races can be conquered with extraordinary grit and determination.o the final loop.
Why is the Barkley so famous?
With no official website, no easy way to enter, and almost no finishers, the Barkley Marathons has taken on a near-mythical status in the ultrarunning world. Its reputation exploded after the 2014 documentary The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young, drawing a global audience fascinated by its absurd difficulty.
Despite—or perhaps because of—its near-impossible challenge, runners keep coming back. It’s not about winning. It’s about survival, about pushing past limits, and about being part of something that defies logic, reason, and the very concept of what a race should be.