Thus, in 1986, the inaugural Barkley Marathon was born and 35 years later, it is still considered one of, if not the toughest ultra-marathon in the world. A paltry effort, believed Gary Cantrell, a Tennessee native who boldly claimed, “I could do at least 100 miles.” Ray was no Andy Dufresne though and, after just 55 hours and a massive police manhunt, he was found a mere eight miles across the prison’s treacherous backwoods.
Hopefully we will see a different story in 2018.In 1977, James Earl Ray, the gunman behind the assasination of Martin Luther King Jr., embarked on an ill-fated escape from Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in the town of Petros in Morgan County, Tennessee. Collins did have all his pages, despite the unfortunate mishap, and the video of his finish collapse from exhaustion is devastating, posted on Canadian Running’s Facebook page.Īlthough every runner’s heart wants him to slip in with an official finish, the rules are brutal rules that every participant respects. The page requirement changes with each lap. Along the course, the participants ensure they followed the correct map by collecting pages along the way and presenting them at the finish line. Gary Collins would have been the first Canadian to finish the feat, until he made a wrong turn and missed the cutoff by 6 seconds, tapping the finish line gate from the wrong side. Imagine a race cutoff of 60 hours-don’t worry, we can’t either.īut at the elusive 100-mile Barkley Marathons, an insane ultra event comprising five 20-mile loops through a wooded park in Tennessee, this is the reality, along with 60,000 feet of elevation gain. Those who finish are few and far between-exactly 14 men have done so under the cutoff. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!
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