After an sudden three finishes ultimately 12 months’s Barkley Marathons, followers assumed race director Laz Lake would make the course extra diabolically troublesome than ever. However both he didn’t get round to it (although there are some new options, together with a climb referred to as Rusty Spoon) or this 12 months’s opponents are simply stronger and extra decided than ever, however an unprecedented seven runners are at present preventing the clock on the fifth and closing loop of the course.
Who’s on loop 5?
*first-timer Ihor Verys (Canada/Ukraine)
*2017 and 2023 finisher John Kelly of the US (who’s at Frozen Head for the seventh time)
*third-timer Greig Hamilton of New Zealand
*second-timer Damian Corridor of the UK
*three-time finisher Jared Campbell of the US (who’s on the course for the eighth time)
*third-timer Jasmin Paris of the UK
*first-timer Sébastien Raichon of France
In line with Keith Dunn (the one dependable supply for Barkley updates), Alberto Herrero Casas of Spain and Tomokazu Ihara of Japan dropped out on loop 4 and returned to camp. Solely runners who end loop three in below 36 hours are permitted to try a fourth loop. All loop 4 finishers returned to camp inside two hours of one another, after 45 to 47 hours on the course.
Sebastien Raichon started loop 5, three minutes earlier than the cutoff. For the primary time ever, seven runners are on loop 5 on the #BM100.
— Keith (@keithdunn) March 22, 2024
Verys completed his fourth loop with 45:46:36, that means he has 14 hours and 13 minutes to finish the ultimate loop throughout the 60-hour time-frame. If he finishes, he’ll make historical past and turn into the primary Canadian to complete the Barkley Marathons. Verys compatriot, pal and mentor Gary Robbins got here near ending in 2016 and 2017. (Robbins is crewing Kelly on this 12 months’s race).
Paris, who can also be out on loop 5, was certainly one of three ladies who began the race Wednesday morning, and will very nicely turn into the primary girl to finish the Barkley Marathons. (Final 12 months, Paris dropped out throughout loop 4.) Having accomplished the fourth loop in 14 hours and 14 minutes, she has 13 hours and half-hour to complete the ultimate loop. (Paris is the #smallEuropeanwoman at present trending on X.)
Reverse instructions for loop 5
Per Barkley guidelines, any runners who head out on loop 5 on the identical time could not journey collectively; they have to go in reverse instructions. Verys, being the primary runner to move out, determined to go clockwise (the popular path); Kelly, the second runner, due to this fact went counterclockwise. Corridor is racing clockwise and Hamilton counterclockwise. A video was posted exhibiting Paris resting and refuelling in camp earlier than heading out on loop 5. Whereas she’s resting, Campbell arrives in camp and generously gives her the clockwise route, which she accepts, whereas Campbell goes counterclockwise.
Enjoyable Run finishers
Individuals who efficiently full three loops of the course in below 40 hours are credited with a “Enjoyable Run” (although it’s nonetheless a DNF). This 12 months’s Enjoyable Run finishers embody Maxime Gauduin of France, Thomas Dunkerbeck of the Netherlands and Guillaume Calmettes of France, who reportedly misplaced certainly one of his guide pages and needed to retrace his steps to search out it (he did). This was Calmettes’ fifth look at Frozen Head.
What’s the Barkley Marathons?
The Barkley Marathons is 5 loops of a 20+ mile course (distances range; the race is considered about 120 miles, or 192 km) that includes hundreds of metres of elevation achieve, with a time restrict of 60 hours. GPS watches will not be allowed; every runner is issued an affordable watch set to “Barkley time,” i.e., the 60-hour restrict. Runners should acquire pages comparable to their bib quantity from 13 books hidden on the course (they obtain a brand new bib for every loop); lacking pages imply disqualification. There’s water out there on the course, however no assist stations. Runners could solely obtain assist from their crew between loops, in camp, the place they’re on the clock.
The race will probably be over and any finishers decided by 5:17 p.m. ET Friday. To observe, watch @keithdunn on X.
