As the clock hit 24 hours at the 2025 Barkley Marathons, zero competitors had completed two loops of the course. This means this year’s race will likely have no finishers. According to the rules, runners must complete two loops in under 24 hours to be eligible for five loops.
If any of the six competitors who started their second loop complete it in under 26 hours and 30 minutes, they are eligible to head back out for a third loop, which, if completed in under 40 hours, is deemed “a fun run.” By the time of publication, Japan’s Tomokazu Ihara, who was aiming for his first finish in his sixth go at the course, was the only runner to finish two loops in 24:32:50, and elected to head out for a third (an attempt at a fun run).
24 hours into the #BM100 no runners have completed Loop 2.
— Keith (@keithdunn) March 19, 2025
The unseasonably warm weather has reportedly played a major role in the course conditions this year, with 85 per cent of the field dropping out by the end of the first loop or shortly into the second. On Tuesday and into Wednesday, temperatures at Frozen Head (the state park in northeastern Tennessee where the race takes place), climbed to 72 F (22 C). Last year, 12 runners finished the second loop in under 24 hours.
Among the six remaining competitors, two have been identified: seasoned veteran, and three-time finisher John Kelly (USA) and Japan’s Ihara. Three Canadian runners started the race, including Barkley veteran Jodi Isenor of Nova Scotia, but none completed the first loop within the 12-hour cutoff.
The event is masterminded by Gary Cantrell, better known as Laz Lake, who created the race in 1986. It was inspired by the infamous prison escape of James Earl Ray, convicted of assassinating American civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1967. Ray’s attempted escape from Brushy Mountain penitentiary—now abandoned—forms part of the legend and the race’s challenging course. The exact distance of the course varies, but the race is estimated to span at least 120 miles (192 km), with significant elevation gain and rough terrain. Runners have a 60-hour limit to finish. GPS devices are prohibited; participants are issued an inexpensive watch set to “Barkley time” (the 60-hour limit).
Unlike most ultramarathons, the Barkley has no live tracking. Updates come exclusively from Keith Dunn on X or via his BlueSky Social, who shares live information from the main campsite as he observes events unfold.
