Athletes are invited to run the Barkley Marathon every year in the late winter or early spring, with each racer having just 60 hours to complete the five loops of this course. The distance totals over 100 miles and 60,000ft of vertical gain. Since the first race in 1986 there have only been 20 finishers, but with multiple elite athletes in the 2026 it was a test to see if they could break the Barkley.
Ultra-runners like Max King, Damian Hall, and Mathieu Blanchard all put their hats in the ring this year. On February 14, 2026 the race kicked off at 6am and only four runners were able to start loop three before the cut-off time. The Barkley isn’t about finishing first, it’s about finishing at all. Achieving only one loop of the Barkley is an accomplishment in itself, achieving three loops is considered a fun-run, and finishing five loops is seldom an occurrence but a massive accomplishment.
The Barkley is one of the most inspirational races. Watching runners not only persevere through misery but push themselves further towards it with no promise of reaching the end is truly moving to watch. Knowing people can suffer this much in pursuit of a goal shows the grit that lies deep within humanity.
Watching the Barkley proves that this race isn’t about skill, being the fastest or the strongest runner is not a guaranteed win here, having the greatest ability to push through pain gives athletes the best shot at finishing.
Each of the five laps follow the same general course, but alternating clockwise and counterclockwise each time. If it comes time for a fifth lap, the first runner to start chooses their direction and each runner behind them must alternate.
The course is not marked but along the way there are paperback books, requiring each runner to rip out the page number from each book that aligns with their bib number. When they finish a lap race officials count their pages to ensure the runners have truly completed a full lap. GPS devices are not allowed during the race, simply a paper map and compass are allowed for navigation.
The Barkley has many other quirks that set it apart from other ultramarathons: a license plate is a required element of the entry fee, a trumpet plays each time a runner drops out, and the start of the race is signified by the lighting of a cigarette.
Despite one of the strongest fields in 2026, there were yet again no finishers. Barkley held strong for another year, refusing to allow any concession to some of the world’s best runners. Matheiu Blanchard was the only athlete in the field to complete a fun run and dropped out after that. This year’s race was yet again an engaging display of pure grit.
With no finishers again this year ultra-runners are eagerly awaiting what the Barkley holds for the future. Has the race finally beat out human ability or will runners from around the world come to fight back?