- 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
Awesome photos of British ultrarunner Jasmin Paris show what peak performance looks like, with images of her collapsed on the pavement after completing a tough 100-mile marathon.
The 40-year-old veterinarian and researcher from Edinburgh became the first woman to complete the Barkley Marathons race Tennessee, consisting of five challenging 20-mile loops through Frozen Head State Park.
Photos show Paris slumped to the ground as she rested against a wall, looking exhausted after completing the race dubbed ‘the race that eats its young’.
You can almost see Paris crumbling to her knees as she crossed the finish line, sealing her remarkable feat in 59 hours, 58 minutes and 21 seconds, narrowly beating the 60-hour mark by 99 seconds.
Other photos show scratches on the ultrarunner’s legs after brushing past sharp brambles and bushes as she completed the grueling course.
Photos show Paris slumped to the ground as she rested against a wall and looked exhausted after completing the race dubbed ‘the race that eats its young’
You can almost see Paris crumbling to her knees as she crossed the finish line, sealing her remarkable feat in 59 hours, 58 minutes and 21 seconds.
Paris gave supporters a thumbs up after her huge achievement after completing one of the world’s most formidable races
Paris sat on a camper chair for a well-deserved rest, sipping a drink and appearing in good spirits after her remarkable performance
The mother-of-two appeared in good spirits after her huge achievement with photos showing Pairs sitting in a camping chair enjoying a drink before a well-deserved rest.
The 40-year-old joined an elite group of five runners to complete this year’s challenge.
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.
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.
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)
Paris combines her sporting activities with her role as a veterinarian and scientific researcher in Edinburgh
The ultrarunner, who is also a mother of two, became the first woman to complete the Barkley Marathons race in Tennessee
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 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.
The event is remarkably unconventional and 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.