Until now the Frenchman had been best known as the holder of the record for the self-supported fastest-known time for the south-to-north route on the John Muir Trail – a 213-mile route through the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California. He’d started the final loop just a few minutes behind Kelly and was forced to go counter-clockwise as the first to set off chooses their direction and it alternates after that. Remarkably it was Sanchez’s first appearance in the event and he had over an hour and a half to spare at the end, stopping the clock in 58:23:12. No one had been able to emulate Kelly until now, though Sanchez had one final challenge near the end as a day hiker, who believed the race was over, had removed one of the books the competitors have to tear pages from. There was a record-equalling third finisher too as Belgium’s Karel Sabbe just made it back in the nick of time. Robbins is believed to be planning another attempt in 2020.France’s Aurelien Sanchez has become the first finisher of the notorious Barkley Marathons since 2017 – and the 16th in the race’s history – after a closely-fought battle.Īnd the man he pipped to first place was none other than John Kelly, the last person to make it through five 20-mile loops inside 60 hours six years ago at Frozen Head State Park in Morgan County, Tennessee. In 2018, he crewed for Canadian Gary Robbins, who has attempted the race three times. (Kelly returned in 2019, but did not finish. The last person to finish the race was John Kelly, in 2017.
John Kelly after loop three of Barkley in 2017 Runners can replenish their water stores at two locations, but otherwise there are no aid stations–they can meet their crews only between loops, back at camp in Wartburg, Tennessee’s Frozen Head State Park. Cheating is impossible, since runners must present specific pages torn from books hidden along the course, in order to start the next lap.
GPS are not allowed–Laz issues each racer an inexpensive watch that shows only the time, counting down from the 60-hour cutoff. It involves five laps of a 20-mile loop that many believe is significantly longer than 20 miles, along an unmarked course that changes slightly every year, with huge elevation gains and losses. The race is a notoriously difficult 100-miler, with a number of quirks that set it apart from any other race on Earth. RELATED: Laz Lake is planning another very long walk in 2021 Racer Nicky Spinks collecting her bib for Loop 2.
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