Many of our readers already know the Barkley Marathon. It has a reputation for being one of the hardest and most ridiculous ultramarathons in the world. Five, twenty-mile loops, over sixty thousand feet of elevation, through the hilly backwoods of Eastern Tennessee. Oh, and you have 60 hours to cross the finish line. Since the race debuted in 1980, only 15 have finished.
The 2018 Barkley Marathon started this past Saturday, March 24 at 9:30 a.m. Nobody won.
The race is held at Frozen Head State Park, just outside of Petros, Tennessee. Each year, 40 competitors are selected to compete in the 100-mile ultra marathon.
This year, Canadian Gary Robbins did the best. Of the 40 competitors, only four runners made it to the third loop, with Robbins coming up short, 12 minutes past the 36 hour cutoff time. He was tapped out.
While the total race time is 60 hours, runners are given 12 hours to finish each loop. One second late and you’re done. Along with Robbins, Guillaume Calmettes, and Ally Beaven, started loop three.
This is the second time since 2007 that no runner has finished the race.
