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The Barkley Marathons 2024. Conch shell at the ready...

678 replies

Taylormiffed · 03/03/2024 14:59

No idea when it will start. Follow @ keithdunn on twitter as he's usually the only journo who attends.

Let's hope for another safe race. Maybe a woman can finish for the first time and hopefully there'll be a handful of Brits to cheer on. Although tbh, I'll cheer on anyone crazy enough to attempt it.

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GCircus · 20/02/2026 05:55

GCircus · 23/03/2024 08:28

The Raid Centaure. 100km at night on horseback but with extreme orienteering challenges. Points can be scored or lost for being only a few metres off course at various checkpoints and gates. It’s full of the same quirky characters and odd customs (our version of Laz is Jean) - I’ve directed people who have asked about it from the horsey world in the past to watch the Barkley Marathons movie to get an idea. It has very little online presence, mainly on Facebook. Here is this year’s page, but just replace the year to find the other pages. This year’s race saw us scrambling up and down mountains leading our horses, and fording flooded rivers in a drought-breaking storm. On a previous occasion we raced in a blizzard.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550603146221

Edited
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I said I would give an update where possible on the equestrian version. The 2026 Raid Centaure en Chambaran begins tonight. You won’t find out much about it though, but that is part of the charm, non? Being old farts, (both the organisers and competitors) Facebook would be your best bet to find out what’s going on. I’m a competitor again, and I haven’t even seen my horse yet!

spartanrunnergirl · 15/02/2026 06:20

🎉🎉

NotStylishOrBeautiful · 14/02/2026 18:35

Whaaaaaaaaaat?!!! But I have plans!!! I’m literally in a train to an actual real live date.

AltitudeCheck · 14/02/2026 16:09

Thank you 🙌@RelentlessForwardProgress that has solved the what to do Valentines weekend when OH is away watching football conundrum!!

fudgecat · 14/02/2026 15:06

Oh!!! Exciting

TheSproutOfWrath · 14/02/2026 14:46

Here we go!!!

The Barkley Marathons 2024. Conch shell at the ready...
TheSproutOfWrath · 14/02/2026 14:45

Im there! Bluesky as I won't use X

Topsyturvey10 · 14/02/2026 14:43

Where is the best place to see updates?

RelentlessForwardProgress · 14/02/2026 14:42

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The 2026 Barkley has started a month early!
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RelentlessForwardProgress · 14/02/2026 14:39

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RelentlessForwardProgress · 14/02/2026 14:37

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RelentlessForwardProgress · 14/02/2026 14:35

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RelentlessForwardProgress · 14/02/2026 14:34

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RelentlessForwardProgress · 14/02/2026 14:32

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Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 25/03/2025 16:02

Thank you both for those, much appreciated. Hoping he will do more posts for Loops 2 and 3 in due course.

xxuserxx · 25/03/2025 12:56

Good ~20 min video on this year's race:

Loopytiles · 22/03/2025 21:23

There is a good, short post by him on facebook

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 22/03/2025 15:28

Just caught up with this. Apols if already linked on this thread. 2

Waiting for John Kelly's blog post about this year, but that could be a while yet.

Enthrallingstoryofstillnessandlight · 20/03/2025 23:05

SuncreamAndIceCream · 20/03/2025 12:06

That was an April fool wasn't it?

No way Laz would sell and defo not to UTMB!

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No way!!

onemoremile · 20/03/2025 19:43

SuncreamAndIceCream · 20/03/2025 12:06

That was an April fool wasn't it?

No way Laz would sell and defo not to UTMB!

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Yep - it took a while to spot the date but definitely April fool!

spartanrunnergirl · 20/03/2025 15:34

Yeah Carl has been doing the RD work for a while. I think it will inevitably lose a bit of magic without LL but I hope the community cherishes it to continue in the spirit of Laz.

xxuserxx · 20/03/2025 12:50

Laz has succession planning in hand; for the last few years Carl Laniak has been doing a lot of the RDing.

SuncreamAndIceCream · 20/03/2025 12:06

onemoremile · 20/03/2025 11:17

Anyone else see this last April?

« BREAKING: UTMB Announces Acquisition Of The Barkley Marathons »

That was an April fool wasn't it?

No way Laz would sell and defo not to UTMB!

GCircus · 20/03/2025 12:06

onemoremile · 20/03/2025 11:17

Anyone else see this last April?

« BREAKING: UTMB Announces Acquisition Of The Barkley Marathons »

Would be a shame for it to be acquired by a big organisation. Part of the charm lies in it being a bit of an eccentric’s baby. But Laz will not be there to run it forever. It should stay mysterious though.