The Barkley Marathon has undergone various changes over the years. The race now consists of five treacherous loops of more than 20 miles and an off-trail course for a total of 100 miles. Remarkably, the race is limited to two and a half days (60 hours) for the runners to complete. Internally enough, the race officially begins when the race director lights a cigarette. The Barkley Marathon is expertly known for its extreme difficulty and peculiarity, attracting only the most experienced and daring runners.
On this Race a GPS is not allowed; runners are only allowed to make use of a map and a compass to navigate through the long course. Only 18 people have finished this race in the time since its first inauguration and all of them were men.
Because this is a 60-hour race many people consider that the way to win this race is by simply completing it.
Due to the limited availability of spots, the race has a cap of 40 runners so it tends to fill up extremely quickly.
The Barkley Marathon is a grueling race that has been taking place for 38 years and has witnessed only 17 men complete the race within 60 hours, and no woman had ever previously come close to winning, making this a male-dominated event.
Jasmin Paris is a 40-year-old British runner. Paris was born in Manchester and grew up in the Peak District. She started running after graduating from the University of Liverpool in 2008.
She is a mother of two young children and a small animal vet who made history by becoming the first woman to complete all five loops within the time limit; at the end of the event, she finished 99 seconds before the 60th hour.
