History made as British ultrarunner Jasmin Paris become first woman to finish 100-mile long Barkley Marathons
- The Tennessee race is considered one of the toughest runs in the world
- The 40-year-old Paris completed the race just under the 60-hour mark, along with four others
- The Brit also broke the course record during the English Montane Spine Race in 2019
British ultrarunner Jasmin Paris has made history by becoming the first woman to complete the Barkley Marathons race in Tennessee.
The 40-year-old joined an elite group of five runners to complete this year’s challenge, which consisted of five tough 20-mile loops through Frozen Head State Park.
Paris’s remarkable performance was sealed with a finishing time of 59 hours, 58 minutes and 21 seconds, narrowly surpassing the 60-hour mark.
Her achievement adds to a string of groundbreaking achievements, including a 2019 victory at the Montane Spine Race in England, where she broke the course record.
Ihor Verys set the fastest time of the event, crossing the finish line in 58 hours, 44 minutes and 59 seconds.
Jasmin Paris was also the very first woman to win the Spine Race, destroying both the men’s and women’s course records by completing the 430 kilometer course in 83 hours and 12 minutes.
The Barkley Marathon is known as one of the most grueling runs, with 20-mile loops through Frozen Head State Park
British ultrarunner Jasmin Paris has made history by becoming the first woman to complete the Barkley Marathons race in Tennessee (Credit: Howie Stern)
Notable American runners John Kelly and Jared Campbell also completed the race for the third and fourth times respectively, with New Zealander Greig Hamilton surpassing the challenging time limit.
In a show of good sportsmanship, Campbell gestured to Paris and offered her the choice of completing the final loop in a potentially less strenuous clockwise direction.
Paris, who combined her athletic pursuits with her role as a veterinarian and research scientist in Edinburgh, showed her resilience after previous attempts at Barkley Marathons.
Barkley Marathons, also known as ‘the race that eats its young’, ranks as one of the world’s most formidable ultramarathons.
The race also includes ever-changing forest routes and an estimated 16,500 meters of vertical ascent and descent.
The race, created by Gary “Lazarus Lake” Cantrell in 1986, begins with Cantrell lighting a ceremonial cigarette.
Notably unconventional, the event features a bugler signaling the withdrawal of runners and maintaining a minimal online presence, with updates distributed solely through a designated person’s social media account.