Early Thursday morning, the 2024 Barkley Marathons in Tennessee was declared over, with no finishers. Three-time finisher John Kelly was the one competitor to attain a “enjoyable run” (three loops of the course in underneath 40 hours), with no different rivals able to complete.
Two different rivals tried a 3rd loop: Sébastien Raichon of France, racing at Frozen Head for the second time, returned to camp earlier than the 40-hour cutoff, however with out having accomplished the loop; Japan’s Tomokazu Ihara, who hoped for his first end after six appearances on the race, discovered his means again to camp two hours after the race was declared over.
The 2025 Barkley Marathons is over. There are not any finishers. #BM100
— Keith (@keithdunn) March 20, 2025
The die was forged on Wednesday, when nobody had but returned from loop two after 24 hours. (Runners should common 12 hours or much less per loop to remain within the race, which includes 5 loops of the 20-mile-plus loop in a most of 60 hours, although they will earn a “enjoyable run” in the event that they full three loops in underneath 40 hours.)
This was a very tough yr for runners, with 85 per cent of the sphere dropping on the primary loop, or early within the second. Heat temperatures undoubtedly performed a job, in addition to founder Laz making the notoriously tough course harder annually–particularly after an unprecedented 5 athletes completed the race in 2024, together with the primary lady (Jasmin Paris of the U.Okay.) and the primary Canadian (Ihor Verys of Chilliwack, B.C.). Kelly was the one one in every of final yr’s 5 finishers to return to the race this yr; he additionally completed the course in 2017 and 2023.
The occasion is masterminded by Gary Cantrell, higher often called Laz Lake, who created the race in 1986. It was impressed by the notorious jail escape of James Earl Ray, convicted of assassinating American civil rights chief Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1967. Ray’s tried escape from Brushy Mountain penitentiary—now deserted—types a part of the legend and the race’s difficult course. The precise distance of the course varies, however the race is estimated to span a minimum of 120 miles (192 km), with important elevation achieve and tough terrain. Runners have a 60-hour restrict to complete. GPS units are prohibited; contributors are issued a cheap watch set to “Barkley time” (the 60-hour restrict).
Not like most ultramarathons, the Barkley has no stay monitoring. Updates come completely from Keith Dunn on X or through his BlueSky Social, who shares stay info from the principle campsite as occasions unfold.
Three Canadian runners began the race on Tuesday, together with Barkley veteran Jodi Isenor of Nova Scotia, however none was in a position to full the primary loop throughout the 12-hour cutoff.