Jasmin Paris Becomes the First Woman to Conquer the Barkley Marathons

Jasmin Paris, a 40-year-old British ultrarunner, has made history by becoming the first woman to finish the notoriously grueling Barkley Marathons, widely regarded as the toughest race on the planet.

Taking place in Tennessee's Frozen Head State Park, this brutal event challenges participants to cover a treacherous 100-mile course with a staggering 16,000 meters of elevation gain within a 60-hour time limit. Paris completed the race with mere moments to spare, finishing in an incredible 59 hours, 58 minutes, and 21 seconds.

The Barkley Marathons, famous for its near-impossible conditions and constantly changing course layout, has seen only 20 finishers in its 35-year history. Paris's victory stands as a groundbreaking achievement in a race where most competitors fail to complete even three of the five 20-mile loops required.

Her journey to this historic moment has been years in the making.

Paris first attempted the Barkley Marathons in 2022, successfully completing three loops. In 2023, she reached the fourth loop but fell short of the strict cutoff time.

This year, determined and better prepared, Paris tackled the final loop with guidance from Jared Campbell, a four-time Barkley finisher.

A mother of two and a veterinary scientist in Edinburgh, Paris’s ability to balance elite-level training with her personal and professional life makes her accomplishment even more remarkable.

Her success also comes in an edition of the race that broke records, with five athletes completing the challenge—more than any previous year. Ukrainian runner Ihor Verys took the overall win with a time of 58:44:59, while Americans John Kelly and Jared Campbell, along with New Zealand’s Greig Hamilton, rounded out the list of finishers.

The Barkley Marathons is a race steeped in legend and lore.

It was created in 1986 by Gary Cantrell, also known as “Lazarus Lake” and was inspired by the failed prison escape of James Earl Ray, the man convicted of assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. Cantrell believed that, unlike Ray's meager 35-kilometer effort, a determined person could cover 100 miles in the rugged Tennessee wilderness within two and a half days.

Paris’s remarkable finish is not just a personal triumph but a groundbreaking moment for women in ultra-running, proving once again the extraordinary power of perseverance, strategy, and grit.

Her name is now etched into the annals of endurance sports, inspiring athletes everywhere to tackle the seemingly impossible.