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The 2022 Barkley Marathons have started, and John Kelly is back

Jasmin Paris, outright winner of Britain's 2019 Spine Race, is also on the course at Frozen Head

John Kelly

Many Barkley Marathons fans were taken by surprise to discover that the race got underway around 7:55 a.m. ET Tuesday. They were further surprised (and delighted) to learn that John Kelly, the most recent finisher from 2017, is back. Also on the course is British fell runner Jasmin Paris, outright winner of the 2019 Spine Race. (No woman has ever completed the Barkley, but after her Spine Race victory, Barkley Marathons race director Laz Lake said he would love to have Paris compete.)

Among others known to be competing this year are Karel Sabbe, the Belgian dentist who did well in 2019 but was not able to return in 2021 due to pandemic travel restrictions (the race was cancelled in 2020), Courtney Dauwalter (who raced last year for the first time), Harvey Lewis (who won Big’s Backyard Ultra in 2021 and is also racing the Barkley for the first time) and a few regulars like multiple fun-runner Guillaume Calmettes of France.

In 2019, Kelly dropped out after two loops.

John Kelly drops out of Barkley Marathons: “I was no longer having fun”

 

This is unusually early for the Barkley to start, and poor weather is likely to be an issue (there are reports that it rained all night). The race, which typically takes place in the last week of March or first week of April, gives a small field of runners 60 hours to try and finish five 20-mile loops through steep and unforgiving terrain, while using their orienteering skills to navigate the course, which is not marked. GPS watches are not allowed; each runner is issued a Casio watch with very little functionality beyond keeping them apprised of how much time has passed. Runners must also collect specific pages (corresponding to their bib number) from books hidden on the course; missing pages mean automatic disqualification. (Runners receive new bibs at the beginning of each loop of the course.)

In more than 30 years, only 15 men have finished the race (Kelly being the most recent). Kelly has been living in the U.K. for the past couple of years and spending his free time conquering FKTs and fell races (including the 2020 Spine Race).

Barkley Marathons end with ‘fun runs’ for Jared Campbell and Luke Nelson

Runners who complete three loops of the course in under 40 hours are credited with a “fun run,” but also a DNF. (To be allowed to attempt a fourth loop, they must complete three loops in under 36 hours.)

At last year’s race, three-time finisher Jared Campbell and Luke Nelson scored fun runs, but there were no finishers.

Canada’s Gary Robbins announced earlier this year that he would not be returning to Frozen Head. The only Canadian on the course, that we’re aware of, is Jodi Isenor of Nova Scotia, who is returning to the Barkley for the fifth time.

Stay tuned for updates.

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