For the first year since 2007, the ultra-tough 100-mile Barkley Marathons had no finishers.
Runners who pride themselves on never quitting ought to steer clear of the Barkley Marathons, a 100-mile trail race through the Tennessee wilderness. Of the 40 entrants who began the race this past weekend, not a single runner finished.
As Bloomberg Business reports, this was the first year since 2007 that no runner completed the event, which consists of five 20-mile loops and has a 60-hour time cutoff. However, only 16 finishes have been recorded since the Barkley Marathons began in 1986. That includes four finishes by two runners, Brett Maune and Jared Campbell, who've completed the race twice each.
Why the dismal odds of making it to the finish? For starters, the course gains (and loses) more than 60,000 feet. The two "aid stations" (jugs of water dropped in the woods) offer only water. Runners must guide themselves through the course using directions from organizers, a map, and a compass.
Finally, "trail" might be a generous term to describe portions of the route—it includes ditches, felled trees, and portions so steep you need to slide down on your butt or grab onto thorny branches to climb up.
http://www.runnersworld.com/races/the-entire-field-dnfed-this-race?cid=social43017536&adbid=10153203144512090&adbpl=fb&adbpr=23403427089
Meh... I would train for it but my schedule doesn't allow it this year. I have other plans.
Seriously... crazy stuff!
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
Chuck Norris would kill that race
"Cantrell was inspired to hold a race in the rugged mountains by James Earl Ray’s failed 1977 escape from Brushy Mountain State Prison. Ray, who assassinated Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, only managed to get 8 miles from the prison in 54 hours before being captured."
There is something I did not know.
I watched a video not long ago about the Barkley and have met two people who finished. Definitely not for the faint of heart.
Whenever I see bullshit like Tough Mudders or Spartan Races advertised as "the toughest race on the planet", I always think of the Barkley Marathons.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).