Early Thursday morning, the 2024 Barkley Marathons in Tennessee was declared over, with no finishers. Three-time finisher John Kelly was the only competitor to achieve a “fun run” (three loops of the course in under 40 hours), with no other competitors in a position to finish.
Two other competitors attempted a third loop: Sébastien Raichon of France, racing at Frozen Head for the second time, returned to camp before the 40-hour cutoff, but without having completed the loop; Japan’s Tomokazu Ihara, who was hoping for his first finish after six appearances at the race, found his way back to camp two hours after the race was declared over.
The 2025 Barkley Marathons is over. There are no finishers. #BM100
— Keith (@keithdunn) March 20, 2025
The die was cast on Wednesday, when no one had yet returned from loop two after 24 hours. (Runners must average 12 hours or less per loop to stay in the race, which involves five loops of the 20-mile-plus loop in a maximum of 60 hours, though they can earn a “fun run” if they complete three loops in under 40 hours.)
This was a particularly difficult year for runners, with 85 per cent of the field dropping on the first loop, or early in the second. Warm temperatures undoubtedly played a role, as well as founder Laz making the notoriously difficult course tougher each year–especially after an unprecedented five athletes finished the race in 2024, including the first woman (Jasmin Paris of the U.K.) and the first Canadian (Ihor Verys of Chilliwack, B.C.). Kelly was the only one of last year’s five finishers to return to the race this year; he also finished the course in 2017 and 2023.
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 events unfold.
Three Canadian runners started the race on Tuesday, including Barkley veteran Jodi Isenor of Nova Scotia, but none was able to complete the first loop within the 12-hour cutoff.
