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Since its inception in 1986, only 20 runners have ever completed it.
As always, the race started with its signature signal, founder Gary Lazarus Lake Cantrell lighting a cigarette.
With that, the brave competitors set off on the grueling 60-hour challenge.
What does it take to complete a Barkley Marathons race?
Sounds pretty gruelling, right?
Your legs are shredded from bushwhacking through dense undergrowth, and your mind is foggy from exhaustion.
There are no markers, no signs, and no easy way to track your progress.
Instead, you rely solely on a worn, hand-drawn map of the terrain.
Along the way, you must find books hidden at various locations on the course.
Time is relentlessly ticking.
You have just 60 hours to complete five grueling loops.
How do you get a spot in a Barkley Marathons race?
Compare that to the $315 required for a spot in the New York Marathon.
There are only 40 spots available, and the tool process is shrouded in secrecy.
How to apply is not publicly disclosed, and securing a spot is part of the challenge.
Whist many slept a few more runners have ended their run.
Six runners remain on Loop 1.
None of the runners who started Loop 2 have dropped or completed the loop.
