There are at least 2,674 reasons why the Barkley Marathons is the most unique footrace in the world. The unknown start time, the books hidden along the course, the secret application process, we could ...

On a chilly morning in the rural mountains of Tennessee, a conch shell was blown and a cigarette was lit, signaling the start of the 2026 Barkley Marathons. The famously secretive—and extremely ...

While the London Marathon had 56,640 finishers last year, the Barkley Marathons – ‘the Barkley’ – has been completed just 26 times by 20 different people since it was first held in 1986. Why? Because ...

Secrecy surrounds the Barkley Marathons. There's no race website, and dates for the annual event are hush-hush. That made covering the strange, grueling race a unique challenge. Although it wasn't my ...

For the second straight year, no one conquered Tennessee's Barkley Marathons, the cult ultrarace designed to break even the sport's elite. Some 40 runners from 15 states and 15 countries set out ...

Barkley Marathons, the secretive, punishing ultramarathon, concluded Feb. 15 with no finishers. The race is held annually at Frozen Head State Park, where the mountainous landscape pushes runners to ...