Barkley Marathons
Written by Catriona Adams. Published 8 September 2026
Five off-trail loops, no GPS, and the only proof of passing a checkpoint is a page torn from a book hidden in the Tennessee woods. Roughly 100 miles and 25,000-27,000ft of climbing inside a 60-hour limit — since 1986, only 20 people have ever finished it.
Key points
- Five 20-mile loops (closer to 25 miles each in practice), roughly 100 miles and 25,000-27,000ft of climbing, all off-trail — 60-hour limit.
- No GPS: runners navigate by map and compass alone, proving each loop by tearing a numbered page from books hidden on the course.
- Inspired by a real prison escape: in 1977, James Earl Ray fled Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, a few miles from the course, and covered only 8 miles in over two days before recapture — founder Gary Cantrell figured he could cover 100 in that time.
- Created by Gary "Lazarus Lake" Cantrell and Karl "Raw Dog" Henn in 1986. As of the end of 2026, the full race has been finished within 60 hours only 26 times, by 20 different runners — Jasmin Paris became the first woman in 2024.
The prison escape that inspired the race
In 1977, James Earl Ray — who assassinated Martin Luther King Jr. — escaped Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, a few miles from what's now the Barkley course. He covered only 8 miles in just over two days before being recaptured. Gary Cantrell, a local endurance runner, reasoned he could cover 100 miles in that time — the idea that became the Barkley Marathons in 1986.
The numbers
| Distance | 5 loops of a nominal 20 miles each (closer to ~25 miles in practice), ~100 miles total |
|---|---|
| Elevation gain | ~25,000-27,000ft cumulative |
| Time limit | 60 hours (the "fun run" — 3 loops, ~60 miles — has a 40-hour cutoff) |
| Location | Frozen Head State Park, Morgan County, Tennessee |
| First run | 1986, created by Gary "Lazarus Lake" Cantrell and Karl "Raw Dog" Henn |
| Navigation | Map and compass only — no GPS. A numbered page torn from each of 9-15 hidden books proves a runner passed that checkpoint |
The entry ritual
There's no standard sign-up page. Getting a place involves a deliberately strange, semi-secret process built by the race's founder — part filter, part tradition:
| Step | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Application | Send an email at the correct time, pay a $1.60 fee, complete a form of deliberately irrelevant questions, and write an essay on "Why I Should be Allowed to Run in the Barkley." |
| First-timers | Bring a licence plate from their home state or country. |
| Returning runners | Bring a specified clothing item; a runner who has finished before and returns owes a pack of Camel cigarettes. |
| On the course | Find the hidden books and tear out the page matching your race number — the only proof of passing a checkpoint. |
Current records
| Category | Holder | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course record (men) | Brett Maune | 52h 03m 08s | 2012 |
| Course record (women) — first woman to finish | Jasmin Paris | 59h 58m 21s | 2024 |
Jasmin Paris' 2024 finish made her the first woman ever to complete the full five-loop Barkley within the 60-hour limit — the same runner who holds the supported women's record on the Ramsay Round, on this site.
The closest thing to a Round, taken further
No marked course and no GPS put the Barkley on the same axis as a British Round — but it goes further still. A Round runner can carry a GPS watch and still call it a fair attempt; the Barkley's book-page system exists specifically to remove that option. See our guide to self-navigation for fell and mountain running for the skill both events actually test.
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