This was Cantrell’s first experience at creating a tough race. It was named after a famed horse and became one of the oldest yearly ultras in the country. (It turned out that there were some hunters in nearby woods shooting quail).Ĭantrell was interested in stepping up to run an ultramarathon, so in 1979, he and his fellow “Horse Mountain Runners” created their own ultra to run, Strolling Jim 40-mile Run in Wartrace, Tennessee. He even finished one marathon after shotgun pellets struck him in the legs during a race. He was a tough marathon runner with eight finishes to his name at that time. In 1978, Gary Cantrell (later also became known as Lazarus Lake), was an accounting student at Middle Tennessee State University. This is how the madness of the Barkley Marathons started.ĭid you know that they used to hold races across the Grand Canyon and back, rim-to-rim? Read about the stories in the new best-selling book for runners and hikers, Grand Canyon Rim to Rim History, by Davy Crockett This article will reveal the details of his escape, where he went, what he did, and why he was only found a few miles from the prison. Ray's escape has been a subject of folklore. He spent more than two days trying to get away in the very rugged Cumberland Mountains where the Barkley later was established. Ray was the convicted assassin of Martin Luther King Jr. The inspiration for creating the Barkley in 1986 was the 1977 prison escape by James Earl Ray from Brushy Mountain State Prison. Directly opposite of most ultras, the course is specifically designed to minimize the number of finishers. If they lose a page or miss a book, they are out. They are just given a one-hour warning when the conch is blown. To prove that they run the course correctly, books are placed a various places on the course where the runners must tear out a page from each book matching their bib number. The entrance fee includes bringing a license plate from your home state/country. Runners are given the course directions the day before the race and aren't told when the race exactly starts. Those seeking entry must submit an essay.
For the 2018 race, 1,300 runners applied and only 40 selected.
It is a mystery how to enter, It has no course map or entrants list is published online. The Barkley is an event with a mysterious lore. It is held in and near Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee, with a distance of more than 100 miles. The Barkley Marathons, with its historic low finish rate (only 15 runners in 30 years), is perhaps the most difficult ultramarathon trail race in the world. Get my new best-selling book about the history of crossing the Grand Canyon About Ep 19: Barkley Marathons – The Birth Episodeīoth a podcast episode and a full article
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