For any of you that enjoy following the exploits of the "runners" in this absolutely bonkers event each year, you better get plugged in fast if you've not already.

After a record number of people (5. Yes five) completed the 60-hour challenge last year, Laz apparently overshot the mark of making it nearly impossible but doable. Only 4 of 40 people who started made it out on the second loop, only three remain.

If you're interested in more on the event, YT video called "Out There" is great. Only coverage is on Twitter by "Keith", can see traffic searching #BM100.

Oh - they also announced a fall release about the event and Laz. This should be a good read.

The Endurance Artist: Lazarus Lake, the Barkley & a Race with No End

Insane race! Ultra Marathons.
There’s the other one out west, starts in Death Valley and ends up in the Chocolate Mountains. Starts at like 0100hrs, and it’s still +100f in the desert, ends up in 40f temps in the mountains, something like 100 miles later.

(On a side note, if Mike Casey is running it, I hope he suffers a debilitating injury where he has to wallow in his own feces for the rest of his life.)

There is also the Barkley Fall Classic; it has shorter courses- 22.8 miles and 50K but is still a bear. A former running buddy of mine, an absolute beast, has completed several 100 milers and ultras beyond count. She told me the Fall Classic is the hardest race she has done. She said she was five miles from the finish, soaking wet, covered in mud, cut up from burrs, trying to crawl up a hill on all fours and thinking about dropping when the race director sat down and gave her a pep talk. She managed to gather what strength she had and finished. "Never again", she said.

In light of her experience, I can't begin to imagine what the full Barkley Marathon is like.