Frozen Head State Park, Tennessee – The infamous Barkley Marathons’ has once again lived up to its brutal legend. The 2025 edition concluded with zero finishers, marking the 25th time in the event’s 40-year history that not a single participant was able to complete the punishing five-loop course within the 60-hour time limit.
After last year’s historic high of five finishers—the most ever in a single year—race director Gary Cantrell, better known as “Lazarus Lake,” responded by turning the screws even tighter. The 2025 course featured more complex navigation, less distinguishable trail sections, and heavily overgrown terrain, resulting in one of the most unforgiving versions of the race to date.
Out of the 40 runners invited to start the race, only 10 runners completed the first loop within the cut-off time, and most tapped out after one or two loops. As is tradition, some runners never made it back to camp within the time limit at all, forced to accept their defeat in the deep and punishing wilderness of Frozen Head.
The Barkley Mystique
The Barkley Marathons is no ordinary ultramarathon. Conceived in 1986 and inspired by the failed prison escape of James Earl Ray, the race has morphed into a nearly mythical challenge. With an unmarked 100+ mile course, 60,000+ feet of elevation gain, and virtually no aid beyond what runners cache themselves, the Barkley tests not only physical endurance but mental resilience, navigation skills, and the will to suffer.
The entry process is secretive, the start time is unannounced, and runners begin when Lazarus Lake lights a cigarette. Even the race bib numbers are symbolic—Bib #1 is given to the person least expected to finish.
The race consists of five loops of approximately 20 miles each, but the terrain and navigation make the true distance and effort far greater. The third loop is famously run in reverse, and only runners who complete three loops in time are allowed to attempt the full five-loop “fun run.”
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From Glory in 2024 to Carnage in 2025
The 2024 Barkley shocked the ultrarunning world when five runners managed to finish, including Jasmin Paris, who became the first woman to ever complete the full course. That result spurred speculation that the Barkley was becoming “easier,” a notion Lazarus Lake seemed determined to correct.
This year’s course changes included less defined landmarks, rerouted climbs, and far more off-trail travel. Veteran Barkers noted that many familiar sections had become nearly unrecognizable under overgrowth. Even those with prior Barkley experience struggled to maintain pace.
According to one participant, “It felt like Laz designed this year’s course to erase every bit of confidence gained from 2024. He succeeded.”
No Finishers, No Regret
Though the race ended without a finisher, that doesn’t mean it lacked drama, grit, or achievement. Several runners pushed deep into their third loops, battling exhaustion, fog, and unrelenting terrain. The infamous conch shell once again signaled the end for each, one by one.
Among the most closely watched runners was John Kelly, a former Barkley finisher and local legend. Despite years of experience, even he was forced to withdraw after loop two, citing disorientation and extreme fatigue.
“The course beat me, plain and simple,” said Kelly. “You think you know what’s coming, and then the Barkley reminds you that you don’t.”
The Legend Continues
The Barkley’s unique legacy is partly built on the fact that success is designed to be rare. Out of the hundreds who have attempted it since 1986, only 20 people have ever finished. The race’s mythology is as much about failure as it is about triumph. Every non-finish adds to the legend—and fuels the obsession of those who return year after year to try again.
Despite the DNF column being filled once more, the Barkley Marathons remains a pinnacle of ultrarunning ethos—a crucible of chaos, endurance, and raw human tenacity.
With the 2025 edition now closed, Lazarus Lake offered only his signature dry wit: “We’ll just have to wait another year to see if anyone’s got what it takes.”
In the world of ultrarunning, the Barkley doesn’t need finishers to remain relevant. It only needs the mountain, the mystery, and the mayhem. And in 2025, it delivered all three.
