Barkley Marathon 2026

[modernfairies]

Appears to have just started https://runningmagazine.ca/trail-running/the-2026-barkley-marathons-has-begun-on-valentines-day/

It is about a month earlier than usual, and has been made more difficult - now 2 anti-clockwise routes then 2 clockwise routes then a choice.

Hopefully John Kelly is recovered from the Spine.

Just saw a photo on x of someone whose legs are scratched to shreds. Looks so painful.

It was suspected that John was one of the guys on Loop 1 for ages.

I saw the scratched legs tweet too. It’s a kind of madness really! Albeit a pretty wholesome kind of madness.

A few minutes between loops, I think. They don't have time for more. Intense seems to barely scratch the surface of what they're trying to do! This would be a good thing to watch to get some idea.
(The Finisher: Jasmin Paris and the Barkley Marathons)

Damien hall and Allie Bailey are the ultra running power couple!! Phenomenal athletes.

I think he was. Keith’s comment

The final runner has returned from loop 1. “This mud sucks. What’s it made of? Grease?” #BM100
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‪Keith‬ ‪@keithdunn.bsky.social‬
· 2hBeing a scientist, he ran on the metric system - 1km/hr.

which fits John. Such a shame. He has had quite a bad run of things recently (sorry!).

Fun run still possible. Loops 4 and 5 now ruled out.

I've seen no concrete evidence that John Kelly was there this year (at one point early on, people were talking about Killian Jornet being there). A large fraction of the Barkley participants are scientists, and I also find it very hard to imagine (short of a sudden injury so bad he had to crawl) that John would be the last person back from loop 1.

It's over. One Fun Run to Sebastian Raichon. Damian Hall got back from Loop 3 but didn't have all his pages. Looks like John Kelly was there, but no idea what went wrong for him. https://eu.knoxnews.com/picture-gallery/news/local/2026/02/15/no-finishers-at-40th-barkley-marathons-in-frozen-head-state-park/88691789007/

Sébastien Raichon. I knew that looked wrong! 'Old French guy'. Wow. To do this at 54!

Thanks for the update @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

Another year the course won!
To only have 1 runner complete 3 laps in time shows how brutal conditions must have been.....to do that in your 50s is incredible

Sebastien Raichon won the Spine Race last month. Damien Hall is also either 50 or about to turn 50.

I can't believe he just did the Spine Race and then a fun run. And Hall. I did wonder if the bringing it forward had something to do with making it harder for the Spine racers.

An absolutely vintage year and I mean that sincerely.

Sebastian Raichon, what a total beast.

Looking forward to John Kelly's write up. I bet Damo is really kicking himself for messing up in 2024.

Definitely a win for the weather and the course. I also find it hard to imagine John Kelly would have taken 30 hours on loop 1. I'm sure there will be more info out there in the coming days though.

Blimey this is just brutal.

Im sort of surprised that Damien continues to go there as a Green runners pioneer. Jasmin said she took the decision to do Berkeley at the expense of other races because of the carbon footprint.

I wonder if Damien will take a similar view that it’s just getting further out of reach.

this is a musing not a criticism. I think these people are awesome.

Taka's spreadsheet now has John Kelly completing loop 1 in 11h 40.

Damian has just done a blog post about it - he allows himself one return flight a year and Barkley was it. I wonder how long he will continue to try.

iRunFar have a results article: https://www.irunfar.com/2026-barkley-marathon-results

They think (Belgian orienteer) Séverine Vandermeulen was the woman who completed one loop within the cutoff to continue on loop two.

John Kelly has put a Facebook post up about his run. Trail runners do seem a decent lot!

And Laz himself has posted a (typically poetic) update on Facebook, that confirms that Séverine completed one loop within the cutoff.

Iain Bethune (completed one loop) has put a race report on his blog. Some nice pictures.

https://www.milestogether.co.uk/blog/