"The final minutes were so intense; after all that effort, it came down to a sprint uphill, with every fiber of my body screaming at me to stop," said Jasmin Paris, hours after she collapsed onto the ground before the iconic yellow gate that signifies the finish line of the infamously challenging Barkley Marathons.
As a 40-year-old British runner balancing the responsibilities of being a veterinarian and research scientist while raising two children, Jasmin had every reason to feel an overwhelming sense of relief. She had just achieved a monumental feat: becoming the first woman to conquer one of the most grueling ultramarathons in the world.
What makes her accomplishment all the more extraordinary is that she finished the annual race in 59 hours, 58 minutes, 21 seconds, with a mere 99 seconds to spare of the 60-hour cut-off.
Paris was among a select group of five ultrarunners who managed to complete this year's Barkley Marathons, a grueling race spanning approximately 160 kilometers and featuring a staggering 60,000 feet of elevation gain and descent. To put it into perspective, that's roughly twice the height of Mount Qomolangma, the highest peak on Earth.
Since the race was extended to its current 100-mile distance in 1989, only 20 people have completed it within the allotted 60-hour timeframe. The participants have to face a Herculean task, navigating treacherous and often unmarked terrain, pushing themselves forward even during the darkest hours of the night. With no aid stations along the course, save for two locations offering water, the ultrarunners had to rely solely on their own resources and perseverance.
Paris had previously attempted the Barkley race in both 2022 and 2023, making history as the first woman since 2001 to reach the fourth lap. Although she did not finish the event in those years, she approached this year's race with renewed confidence.
"Barkley Marathons is a truly unique challenge, and the idea of running it has been growing on me for the last few years," she said. "I feel a mixture of excitement and nerves. I know it's going to be very hard, possibly impossible, but at the same time, that's what makes me want to run it."
The Barkley Marathons, conceived by Gary Cantrell and Karl Henn in 1986, has a peculiar origin story. It draws inspiration from the escape of James Earl Ray, the assassin of Martin Luther King Jr., who managed to cover approximately 12 miles over 54 arduous hours after escaping from a nearby prison in 1977. The race course undergoes alterations each year but typically consists of five loops spanning around 20 miles each. The competition is also highly exclusive; only 35 fortunate participants are granted entry each year.
Aspiring runners must not only submit a modest entrance fee of $1.60 but also craft a persuasive "Why I should be allowed to run in the Barkley" essay. Those who are successful in their application receive a rather unconventional letter of condolence. The race commences at any time between midnight and noon on the designated race day, with the blowing of a conch shell signifying the final hour before the start.
One of the distinctive aspects of the Barkley Marathons is the lack of course markings. Competitors must commit the route to memory before the race, as they venture into the wilderness with no guidance. In 1995, Mark Williams became the first runner to complete the race within the 60-hour time limit. However, the record for the fastest finish belongs to Brett Maune, who achieved a remarkable time of 52 hours, 3 minutes, and 8 seconds in 2012.