barkley-marathons-2024

[matticus]

They're off!

https://run247.com/running-news/trail/barkley-marathons-2024-race-start

To get inspired, I watched this really lovely doc from last year, as Belgian Karel makes his 4th attempt at this absurd race:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-oEFaqUQEQ


( I wish I had a "butler" like his ;-) )

[I thought we already had a Barkley thread, but I coulndt find it, sorry ... ]

@Ming the Merciless

 

[Ming the Merciless]

@matticus This has popped up

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/mar/22/jasmin-paris-completes-barkley-marathons-tennessee

 

[Cirrus]

Bonkers event, Jasmine Paris is an unbelievable athlete and well deserves her place in history.

 

[Jameshow]

I think the woods would destroy me as much as the terrain. Not being able to see the terrain for much of the route would drive me mad, imagine a lakes fell race but covered in trees 5x over!

 

[kingrollo]

@matticus This has popped up

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/mar/22/jasmin-paris-completes-barkley-marathons-tennessee

Much respect an example to us all ....

 

[Beebo]

an extraordinary achievement. I love watching the Barkley documentaries, it’s just a bonkers event.
the people at the finish line were unsure if she’d make it. Then they heard the distant cheers from the crowd.
Here is her final sprint finish.

View: https://youtu.be/URNGiWWX4p8?si=d10gHkYmF7KMR4g5

 

[Cathryn]

Just found this thread! The whole Jasmin Paris story was PHENOMENAL!!!

 

[matticus]

an extraordinary achievement. I love watching the Barkley documentaries, it’s just a bonkers event.
the people at the finish line were unsure if she’d make it. Then they heard the distant cheers from the crowd.
Here is her final sprint finish.

View: https://youtu.be/URNGiWWX4p8?si=d10gHkYmF7KMR4g5

Just seen this, which may be even better.
If any online dictionary is looking for a definition of "exhaustion", the last 10secs are the answer:

View: https://twitter.com/HarveyLewisRuns/status/1772022783452549198?t=ZRIPhA_wzZV4vs5lNb61Uw&s=19

 

[matticus]

Always very hush-hush, but I think it's starting any second now.
Follow @keithdunn on twidder. and/or #BM100

(is a new thread worth the effort?)

 

[Beebo]

No finishers this year!
After 5 finished last year the course was made too hard!
Only 10 runners completed one successful loop!
Four did 2 loops and one did 3 loops but was out of time to start loop 4.

 

[matticus]

(is a new thread worth the effort?)

No Matt, it was not.

 

[Jameshow]

No finishers this year!
After 5 finished last year the course was made too hard!
Only 10 runners completed one successful loop!
Four did 2 loops and one did 3 loops but was out of time to start loop 4.

Too hard???

 

[Beebo]

Too hard???

OK it’s always hard. The science of Ultra running has progressed hugely in the last 20 years, so the number of finishers should increase if the course remains consistent.
But. The suggestion is that the route was made harder this year after 5 finished last year.
This year only 4 runners managed to complete two of the five loops! Which suggests the course and conditions were very hard.

 

[matticus]

Too hard???

To be fair, there have been many years with no finishers - it's part of the mystique.