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- Only 20 people have ever completed the 100-mile Barkley Marathons
- 15 of the races run since 1986 have recorded a finisher
- Total elevation gained is the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest — twice
Every year, about 40 ultramarathoners line up at the start of the Barkley Marathons, a gruelling 100-mile (160km) race in the Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee, US. But in its 38-year-old history, only 20 people have successfully completed the race.
This year, a record-setting 5 runners made it to the end under the cut-off time of 60 hours. Among them was Jasmin Paris, the first woman to finish the race. She did so with just 100 seconds to spare. Also at the end was Jared Campbell, who first ran in 2012. He has completed the course 4 times.
The course, through mountainous terrain and thick woodland, is unmarked and exceptionally tough. The elevation gain of 18,300m is the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest — twice.
Since its inception in 1986, only 15 races have recorded finishers. The first person to finish was Mark Williams, who completed the course in 59:28:48 in 1995. The race record-holder is Brett Maune, who ran 52:03:08 in 2012.
— 28 March, 2024Subscribe to the weekly newsletter for more charts like this
