![]() Anyone starting who doesn’t realize this is hosed. The standard put-your-head-down-and-just-follow-the-markers mindset that mainstream ultrarunning has nurtured over the years simply does not apply at Barkley. It’s interesting to note that there are still some significant sections of ‘candy-ass trail’ (Barkley speak for an actual trail), so there remains room for increased difficulty in future years… I fear what it will look like in 2020! Two new books were installed to prove runners had completed the new section. ![]() The 2014 course removed a section of the beautiful North Boundary Trail and replaced it with a steep new descent known as Hiram’s Vertical Smile, and a solid thrash back up an adjacent ridge to re-acquire the North Boundary Trail further east. The course is evolutionary and self-correcting to maintain the apparent ‘barely possible’ objective. On three different years (2001, 2004, and 2013) there have been two finishers, and in 2012 there were a record number three. This explains why having zero or just one finisher is fairly common and why all the finishing times are not too much faster than the maximum allowable time. While not formally written, it is clear that Race Director Gary ‘Laz’ Cantrell wants to keep the race as difficult as possible… but still possible. Every year the course has been modified to be slightly harder than the prior year. I’ve run (or attempted) Barkley the past three years (2012, 2013, and 2014). Over the past three years, I’ve come to truly appreciate Barkley for all that it is… and isn’t. At first glance, the unique aspects of Barkley are often deterrents for most they were for me initially. The creators of Barkley are guided by strong, self-defined ethics and unique end objectives. Success is heavily dependent on strategy, planning, terrain memorization, disaster prevention, and mental control. It stands alone at the intersection of endurance run, vertical-gain extravaganza, orienteering challenge, and survival contest. It is unique enough, in fact, that I actually consider it outside the sphere of traditional ultramarathons. The Barkley is a very niche race in the niche sport of long-distance trail running, a sub-culture within a sub-culture if you will. ![]() They can sharpen our optimism and generate a deeper appreciation for the simple things in life. These lessons alter our perspective on life and better equip us to deal with life’s unforeseen challenges. There are lessons in life that can only be learned through fairly massive deviations from our normal, comfortable routines.
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