What is the Barkley Marathons? And how did this Brit become the first woman to complete it?

A 40-year-old British runner made history over the weekend, becoming the first woman to finish the grueling Barkley Marathons at Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee.

Jasmin Paris completed all five of the approximately 20-mile loops of the ultramarathon in 59:58:21, making the 60-hour cutoff time by just under two minutes. Paris, a veterinarian, was among a record five runners to complete the course. She collapsed as she crossed the finish line.

Paris, having lost her voice from heavy breathing during the race, told BBC Breakfast via text message she was “overjoyed” to have completed it.

“It still hasn’t really sunk in that I’ve finally done it. This year I had a strong feeling in the months of training and run up to the race that I could do it. Those final moments have redefined for me what I am capable of,” Paris texted, according to the BBC.

David Miller, a professional photographer at the race, told BBC Scotland he had witnessed the “greatest ultramarathon achievement of all time.”

“There was a lot of anticipation at the finish line and three minutes before the 60 hour cut off we heard shouting and a roar and it was people cheering Jasmin on. She was sprinting and giving it her all as there was no room for error because otherwise she would not have made the cut off. She touched the gate and collapsed in exhaustion. It was the best thing I have ever seen, it was unbelievable,” he told the BBC.

“Obviously I was very focused on trying to capture Jasmin and a moment in history but at the same time I could feel a tear behind the lens because it was such an emotional moment.”

Who is Jasmin Paris?

Paris started running after finishing college in 2006. By 2015, she had become more a prominent ultrarunner, winning races and setting records in the U.K. A mother of two, she set a new race record in the 2019 Spine Race along the iconic Pennine Way in England, finishing the 268 miles in 83:12:23, taking about 12 hours off the previous fastest time. During breaks in the race, she expressed milk for her baby.

Paris ran in the Barkley Marathons in 2022, completing the “Fun Run” of three loops, the first time in nine years a woman had done so. In 2023, she was only the second woman ever to attempt a fourth loop, which she completed but outside the time limit. She told the BBC she entered Barkley because she wanted to test the limits of what she was capable of and inspire others.

Ukrainian-Canadian runner Ihor Verys, in his debut, finished first at 58:44:59 in the 2024 race. John Kelly crossed the line next at 59:15:3, his third finish in seven attempts. Utah runner Jared Campbell came in at 59:30:32, followed by Greig Hamilton, of New Zealand, finishing in 59:38:42, according to Runner’s World.

What is the Barkley Marathons?

The Barkley Marathons is one of the most exclusive and brutal ultramarathons in the world. Open to only 40 runners, the course varies from year to year but consists of five 20-miles loops over rugged terrain with a total elevation gain of about 63,000 feet, nearly twice as high as Mount Everest. GPS navigation is not allowed on the indistinguishable route. The race is marked with unmanned checkpoints, each with a paperback novel. Runners must tear out the page corresponding to their bib number and have all the pages in hand at the end of each loop to prove they reached each checkpoint.

The secretive race is the brainchild of Gary “Lazarus Lake” Cantrell and Karl Henn. The 1977 prison escape of James Earl Ray, who assassinated the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., inspired the course. Ray covered only about 12 miles after running 54.5 hours in the woods hiding from air searches during the day. Cantrell named the race for his longtime neighbor and running companion, Barry Barkley. The first race was run in 1986.

Runners must write a “Why I should be allowed to run in the Barkley” essay and pay a $1.60 entry fee. They must also bring an additional “fee”, which in the past has included things such as a white shirt or socks. The race starts any time from midnight to noon. Runners have an hour to get to the start line after they hear the blowing of a conch. The race officially begins when the race director lights a cigarette.

Only 20 people have finished the race since it started in 1989, according to the BBC. Between 2017 and 2023, no one completed the course since it was extended to 100 miles in 1989.

A documentary titled “The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young” was made in 2014.