After an unexpected three finishes at last year’s Barkley Marathons, fans assumed race director Laz Lake would make the course more diabolically difficult than ever. But either he didn’t get around to it (though there are some new features, including a climb called Rusty Spoon) or this year’s competitors are just stronger and more determined than ever, but an unprecedented seven runners are currently fighting the clock on the fifth and final loop of the course.
Who’s on loop five?
*first-timer Ihor Verys (Canada/Ukraine)
*2017 and 2023 finisher John Kelly of the US (who is at Frozen Head for the seventh time)
*third-timer Greig Hamilton of New Zealand
*second-timer Damian Hall of the UK
*three-time finisher Jared Campbell of the US (who is on the course for the eighth time)
*third-timer Jasmin Paris of the UK
*first-timer Sébastien Raichon of France
According to Keith Dunn (the only reliable source for Barkley updates), Alberto Herrero Casas of Spain and Tomokazu Ihara of Japan dropped out on loop four and returned to camp. Only runners who finish loop three in under 36 hours are permitted to attempt a fourth loop. All loop four finishers returned to camp within two hours of each other, after 45 to 47 hours on the course.
Sebastien Raichon began loop five, three minutes before the cutoff. For the first time ever, seven runners are on loop five at the #BM100.
— Keith (@keithdunn) March 22, 2024
Verys finished his fourth loop with 45:46:36, meaning he has 14 hours and 13 minutes to complete the final loop within the 60-hour time frame. If he finishes, he will make history and become the first Canadian to finish the Barkley Marathons. Verys compatriot, friend and mentor Gary Robbins came close to finishing in 2016 and 2017. (Robbins is crewing Kelly in this year’s race).
Paris, who is also out on loop five, was one of three women who started the race Wednesday morning, and could very well become the first woman to complete the Barkley Marathons. (Last year, Paris dropped out during loop four.) Having completed the fourth loop in 14 hours and 14 minutes, she has 13 hours and 30 minutes to finish the final loop. (Paris is the #smallEuropeanwoman currently trending on X.)
Opposite directions for loop five
Per Barkley rules, any runners who head out on loop five at the same time may not travel together; they must go in opposite directions. Verys, being the first runner to head out, decided to go clockwise (the preferred direction); Kelly, the second runner, therefore went counterclockwise. Hall is racing clockwise and Hamilton counterclockwise. A video was posted showing Paris resting and refuelling in camp before heading out on loop five. While she’s resting, Campbell arrives in camp and generously offers her the clockwise route, which she accepts, while Campbell goes counterclockwise.
Fun Run finishers
Participants who successfully complete three loops of the course in under 40 hours are credited with a “Fun Run” (though it is still a DNF). This year’s Fun Run finishers include Maxime Gauduin of France, Thomas Dunkerbeck of the Netherlands and Guillaume Calmettes of France, who reportedly lost one of his book pages and had to retrace his steps to find it (he did). This was Calmettes’ fifth appearance at Frozen Head.
What is the Barkley Marathons?
The Barkley Marathons is five loops of a 20+ mile course (distances vary; the race is thought to be about 120 miles, or 192 km) featuring thousands of metres of elevation gain, with a time limit of 60 hours. GPS watches are not allowed; each runner is issued a cheap watch set to “Barkley time,” i.e., the 60-hour limit. Runners must collect pages corresponding to their bib number from 13 books hidden on the course (they receive a new bib for each loop); missing pages mean disqualification. There is water available on the course, but no aid stations. Runners may only receive aid from their crew between loops, in camp, where they are on the clock.
The race will be over and any finishers determined by 5:17 p.m. ET Friday. To follow, watch @keithdunn on X.
