The 6 second thing is a little bit of a mistake that sensationalizes the story. He actually ran off course for 2 miles and missed some of the checkpoints - full text from the race director below [1].<p>Obviously this race is pretty hardcore and the people that participate are freaking awesome! The race should be sensational based on that alone, but alas journalists need to add a little more spice...<p><pre><code> A message from the RD of The Barkley Marathons #bm100:
i wish i had never said 6 seconds...
gary had just come in after having run off course
and missing the last 2 miles of the barkley.
that is, of course, not a finish.
i do, however, always record when runners come in,
whether they are finishing a loop, or not.
so, i had looked at the watch,
even tho there was no possibility that he would be counted as a finisher.
so, when someone asked if he had gotten in before the limit;
i foolishly answered.
i never expected the story to somehow become that he had missed the time limit by 6 seconds.
he failed to complete the course by 2 miles.
the time, in that situation, is meaningless.
i hate it, because this tale perpetuates the myth that the barkley does not have a course.
the barkley is a footrace.
it is not an orienteering contest,
nor a scavenger hunt.
the books are nothing more than unmanned checkpoints.
the boston marathon has checkpoints.
and you have to show up at all of them or you can be disqualified...
that does not mean you are allowed to follow any route you choose between checkpoints.
now, the class with which gary handled this terrible disappoinment
at the end of a truly magnificent performance...
that was exceptional,
and is, in and of itself, a remarkable achievement.
but he did not miss the time limit by 6 seconds.
he failed to complete the barkley by 2 miles.
laz
</code></pre>
[1]:<a href="https://www.facebook.com/trasie.phan/posts/10212547374898805" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/trasie.phan/posts/10212547374898805</a>
I first knew about the Barkley Marathons when I stumbled across the documentary on a streaming platform. I recommend to watch it to anyone who wants a sneak peak on what this absolutely insane/crazy race is about. <a href="http://barkleymovie.com" rel="nofollow">http://barkleymovie.com</a>
I ran the Umstead 100 this weekend. It was my second hundred (my first was techically a 24h race where I got to 105 and called it quits). Umstead took me 25 hours and kicked my ass. And as far as hundreds go, Umstead is an easy one.<p>I can't even imagine the sufferfest that is the Barkley.<p>I don't know why we push ourselves this way. Maybe I'll figure it out one of these races.<p>Respect to Gary. If you didn't watch the video, he thanks Laz (the R.D.) and gives him a hug. What a fine and proud showing for the ultra community.
This race is a beast.<p>I've done a bunch of a ultras and know quite a few better runners than myself and seeing them tap out on this race just tells you how gnarly it really is.
A strong contender would have to be the Marathon des Sables, around 250 kilometers (156 miles) worth of racing through the Sahara desert in southern Morocco.<p>Contestants get access to rationed water and a tent. All food has to be carried by the runners. Along the way, they get to deal with dehydration, blistering heat, sand storms, and the very real risk of getting lost. One stage is typically about two marathons in length, and has a time limit.<p>It's one of very few events that require insurance for corpse repatriation.<p>Up to 2008, two deaths occurred, one of whom died of a heart attack in his sleep after completing the long stage in 45th place (out of about 750). To gain entry, you have to have a medical certificate anda resting ECG report from at most 30 days before the start of the race, so that's quite extraordinary.
With a title like this, I expected a true tragedy had occurred. It is brutal for Gary but such is the nature of the Barkley Marathons.<p>Knowing that humans push themselves to these limits for the sheer fact of having done it is something that gives me a lot of motivation. I have been following the Barkley Marathons for a while and I dream that someday I may subject myself.
For those unfamiliar with this race, the Outside magazine article on it is a great read: <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/1924491/60-hours-hell-story-barkley-marathons" rel="nofollow">https://www.outsideonline.com/1924491/60-hours-hell-story-ba...</a>
This is mind blowing. I do a bit of running, some half marathons etc. but nowhere close to Ultras and this just amazes me and also excites me. I would want to push myself to do this at least once...see how my body responds.
I don't get how the first person to complete 4 loops had the "choice" to decide which way to run the last one. Was he choosing for everyone? This doesn't make sense, because my understanding is runners can go ANY direction they want. If they have to reverse for the 5th loop, they have to reverse relative to their OWN race direction.
Who gives a damn about their official cutoff?<p>Data point/fact: Garry Robbins finished in 60:00:06.<p>Coming to the finish from the wrong direction is a problem; maybe they could figure it out somehow and translate that to a penalty of some number of seconds.