Coytee Posted March 10, 2022 Share Posted March 10, 2022 Every heard of Barkley's Ultra Marathon? My work has me helping State Employees. As such, I have a territory. Within my territory is "Frozen Head State Park" to which I have a personal experience with. Yesterday, happened to be my day to go there. The Barkley Ultra Marathon was yesterday (and continuing through today I suppose) https://www.runnersworld.com/races-places/a26750827/barkley-marathons-faq/ As the Park Manager told me, James Earl Ray (who assinated Martin Luther King Jr.) was held at Brushy Mountain Penetentary which, is located in these hills on the other side of the park. Ray escaped and was caught just a couple miles from the prison. I understand he was surprised at how "far" he had travelled as he FELT he had gone 100 miles and he was only several miles. 30 years ago, a friend and myself went for a hike on HIS request. Being a sport (but not a hiker) I said sure. We went to Frozen Head, took off.....and got lost. We made it round about, to a fire observation stand so climbed up to try to get our bearings. Saw Brushy Mountain Prison down below. According to the Park Manager that I visited with yesterday, the access road to the fire lookout is 7-miles and it's a pretty straight road. We walked (lost) meanderingly to get there so we did guessing 14 or more miles through very rugged terrain. I limped for a month afterwards (literally). When we found the fire road, we stayed on it knowing that someone would see the car and realize that someone is out there. Maybe after a week they'd look and find our dead bodies lol. Having walked this terrain, I gotta say, the people that choose to do this race, gotta be nuts!!! The Park Manager said that these people come from all states AND many different countries to run this race. He said in the beginning it was more of something you'd be invited to join that not anyone can sign up. I don't know if that's still the case or not but he said these are world class athletes that come to this race. I think he said (not to be/sound sexist) that a female has never completed it. I think he said there was a year where NOBODY completed it. The altitude changes, the weather changes and it's freaking brutal to walk/hike it. To race it? Crazy nutso!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chassell Posted March 10, 2022 Share Posted March 10, 2022 No finishers (again). https://runningmagazine.ca/trail-running/barkley-marathons-ends-with-no-finishers-again/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OO1 Posted March 10, 2022 Share Posted March 10, 2022 I can win the race ,no problem at all ............hehehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grasshopper Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 Oh... i would finish... easily after 3 or 4 steps... I would be finished Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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