British ultrarunner Jasmin Paris became the first woman to ever finish the Barkley Marathons on Friday, completing a race some thought ‘impossible’ for women.
One of the most challenging ultramarathons in the world, Paris collapsed at the finish line in the remote Tennessee woods with just 99 seconds to spare in the race’s 60-hour cut-off.
The 40-year-old mum of two is now one of only 20 people to have finished the Barkley Marathons since the US race was extended to 100 miles in 1989.
Paris, who works as a veterinarian and research scientist in Edinburgh when she’s not running, has tried her hand at Barkley three times. And in a post-race interview, she said she’d kept telling herself: “If you don’t finish it now, you’ll have to do it again”.
The annual race at Frozen Head State Park involves five loops of roughly 20 miles (32km), with ascents and descents that equate to scaling the height of Mount Everest twice, from sea level.
Speaking to the BBC, Paris said: “I did it for me and I’m super happy that I achieved what I set out to do after the three years of trying.”
“But I’m glad that I kind of did it for women worldwide as well– not just runners– but any woman that wants to take on a challenge and maybe doesn’t have the confidence.”
“The idea that I might have inspired them to believe in themselves… that’s huge, especially all the young girls– you know how hard it is to keep young girls in sports.”
Paris’ history-making finish time at Barkley was 59 hours, 58 minutes and 21 seconds. And this isn’t her first time making headlines either.
In 2019, Paris won the UK’s Montane Spine Race along the Pennine Way, breaking the course record for the mixed-sex event by 12 hours. This victory is what initially propelled her to national prominence in ultra running– distances further than a marathon (42.1km).
Before this, she’d only begun running seriously in 2010, and started competing in the ultra-distance events in 2015.
Since then, Paris has also set records for the Bob Graham and Ramsay Rounds, won the Dragon’s Back Race and finished third in the Skyrunning World Championship. Overall, her CV in ultra-running is extensive, and the next challenge she plans to undertake is said to be the Scottish Islands Peaks Race on 17 May, followed by the Tor des Géants in Italy in September.
Background on the insane feat Paris has conquered…
Dubbed the ‘the race that eats its young’, the Barkley Marathons is considered to be the toughest run in the world.
For a long time, the mind boggling challenge was a well kept secret within the running community but it became more widely known after a documentary about the race came out in 2014.
Even more fringe, the man behind the race concept. Gary Cantrell– who goes by the nickname Lazarus Lake or ‘Laz’- is a sort of legendary figure within the ultra running community.
His races are never traditional, and he’s known for adding last minute twists for the runners.
At Barkley, Laz blows a conch shell to signify a one-hour countdown to the race start, meaning the runners could have up to 12 hours of not knowing when they’ll begin their race. There are no aid stations on the course, except water at two places, and runners can only use a compass and rudimentary map to navigate the park’s complex backcountry. In place of a usual chip timing or GPS, competitors must find ripped pages of a book on the course to prove they’ve followed the unmarked route.
Women are tough enough to tackle ‘the impossible’
The concept of ‘Backyard Ultra Races’ is Laz’s brainchild, and it’s a form of ultramarathon race where competitors must run the distance of 6.7 km in less than one hour until there’s only one person standing. This creative race format has grown globally, with events to be found here in Australia throughout the year.
But the infamous Barkley Marathons is what’s made some people joke that he’s a sadist, considering how near to impossible the race is.
In 2015, Laz was filmed commenting on why he thought there’d never been a woman who’s finished the Barkley Marathons.
“The race is too hard for women,” Laz said, grinning. “They’re simply not tough enough to do it. And I get to say that for as long as it goes that no woman proves me wrong”
“When a woman finishes, I’ll be excited. I’ll regret that I can’t tell women that it can’t be done anymore.”
With those words, the challenge was set. And Paris more than rose to the occasion, proving Laz and everyone in agreement very wrong.
Women are tough enough to do it.