“Is the Barkley the world's toughest race? In a word, yes. But that's reductive and misses the point. It's fundamentally a celebration of the magnificence of the raw human spirit. To find that inner spirit of ours, we need a challenge that’s almost impossible.”
Karel Sabbe had a multi-year multi-attempt obsession with completing the Barkley Marathon. In 2023 he finally succeeded. This documents that successful attempt, finishing just minutes before the cut-off #running#BarkleyMarathon#UltraMarathon#inspiration #17 - To finish the Barkley Marathons
“And this year, there was also a new section that used to be used for hillside mining, it was all covered in brambles so our legs got slashed to pieces.” “
That session was spicy! 3 x 10 min tempo pace while the snow came down and the black metal was on point. 6:10-6:12 for each interval and not wearing super shoes. Proud of that one.
After (with later this year) my 3rd 100 km, I think I can give the 100 miles a try. The Mauerweglauf 2025 in Berlin sounds good for it.
Any advice from more experienced runners?
I thought of doing my standard training for 100k and extend the lenght of the longer runs up to 80k. #running#ultramarathon#100miles#mauerweglauf
Well done to Centurion Running for continuing to offer to plant a tree instead of providing an unwanted race tee shirt. Great service from them as race organisers and from Trees not Tees👌🏻 #TheGreenRunners#ultramarathon#running. Please encourage your race directors to offer the same option if not available.
The frost has come with a vengeance. Gloved and hatted this morning for a run through the woods, down the old railway track towards Hawick and then back along the Teviot. Tracks mainly, wee road connecting the railway with the Teviot and then gnarly back. 8.3k, softish underfoot despite the frost.
The dug enjoyed himself - and then had to get over being tormented by an eager pup on his return who is way too small.
@Wen looks like a great run! It was down to 3C over Saturday night during the Autumn 100 #ultramarathon in Oxfordshire but just avoided frost. Definitely chilly moving slowly. Feels like autumn has arrived rapidly…it was 24C in the daytime eight days ago!
Big match nerves kicking in ahead of this weekend’s Centurion A100 #ultramarathon. I’m somewhat undertrained for my first 100 mile race (following injury, and general life getting in the way) but otherwise prepared🤞🏻 I’ve never done more than 50 before so hoping I can keep marching when I’m all out of jog, and get in for tea and medals before the 28 hour cutoff. #TrailRunning#running
Last night did not go the way I’d hoped. My second DNF. Been managing a neuroma for the last 7 years or so and never had it affect my racing. Took a awkward step yesterday and tweaked it. Every step after was a 7/8 on the pain scale and I just don’t want that for 60 miles. Time to get that taken care of and take steps beyond footwear and toe spacers. And time for a mental and physical reset.
Grindstone 100 Mile bound. Race starts at 6PM and will be a wet and windy one. Looking like 35 MPH wind gusts and like an inch of rain. Sounds like a great adventure. Live tracking below.
There are ultra-marathons across the Sahara Desert, Antarctica, and other extreme conditions but one of the toughest in the world is the Barkley Marathon in the USA in the state of Tennessee. After 37 years only it has only been successfully completed 21 times by 17 runners. The documentary team at Pilot Field made this great documentary of the 2023 event. #running#marathon#UltraMarathon#BarkleyMarathonyoutu.be/IEIerVw1vsw?si=SqUK3R…
Looking unpleasantly warm for the Chiltern Wonderland 50 mile #ultramarathon on Saturday. Not hot in international terms, but for a guy that doesn’t like the heat 25C is going to suck big time in the middle of the day when we hit the worst of the hills. Still, the certainty of misery is better than the misery of uncertainty right?😂#running
Halfway through my run yesterday, I figured out that I had two small holes in my hydration bladder and I had lost a liter of water. It was so humid and I was so sweaty I didn't notice the liter of water that had dripped down my backside. I need off the east coast.