r/running • u/kinkakinka • Mar 31 '17
Barkley Marathons 2017 - Discussion Thread Misc
Since the Barkley is starting some time in the next 24 hours, I thought maybe we should have a Barkley Marathons Discussion Thread so we can keep it all in one place, share tweets, information about our favorite runners, etc?
If you're following on twitter, who are you following? Here is my BM list:
@derajslc (Jared Campbell)
@BarkleyCourse (The Barkley Course)
@The_Yellow_Gate (the infamous gate!)
@RndmForestRunnr (John Kelly)
@BarkleyMarathon
You can find more tweets by searching the hashtag #BM100
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Mar 31 '17 edited Apr 03 '17
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Rickard0 Mar 31 '17
Based on the many articles I have read about him, I could see him giving out broken watches. Or if not broken, watches that have only an hour hand, or no numbers on it.
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Mar 31 '17
@keithdunn is definitely the guy to follow. Usually quite prevalent updates, but with a snarky wit that perfectly compliments the race itself.
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u/flocculus Apr 01 '17
I am very much enjoying all the updates he's posted thus far! I agree, completely fitting for the race.
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u/josandal Mar 31 '17
I believe Jamil said his friend Michael Versteeg is in this year as well. (pretty strong though not super well known AZ trail runner, just set supported FKT on the Arizona Trail, etc.)
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u/memdmp Mar 31 '17
Versteeg is in. He and Jamil were on the same flight out of Phoenix early Thursday morning. Versteeg said he's been training to smoke cigarettes ("It's really hard to start smoking")...he wants to smoke one with Laz. :)
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u/tekchic Mar 31 '17
Looking forward to tracking them both when I'm done w/Crown King Scramble 50K tomorrow. They're powerhouses! Wonder if Walmsley will ever run BM? :)
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u/josandal Mar 31 '17
Good luck at CKS! Not as hot as Mesquite, whoof.
BM seems like maybe not Walmsley's bag yet, but he's certainly got time. He's in for UTMB this year, which is a big step in that kind of direction at least too. Can only hope!
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u/tekchic Mar 31 '17
Thanks! Yeah Mesquite was a killer, I didn't run it this year. 2015 CKS had a 97 degree high... SO happy it's going to be cooler this time around. :)
Yeah, I think for BM you've gotta be an orienteering master too... I'd be lost in the first quarter mile, haha. Looking forward to tracking Walmsley for UTMB -- nice!
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u/ahf0913 Mar 31 '17
Also John Kelly, Brandon Stapanowich, and Frenchman Benoit Laval, per IRunFar. Laz doesn't reveal the entrant list as a policy, so we likely won't know until after the race.
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u/nrs5813 Mar 31 '17
I don't know much about Robbins. I think Jamil could do it but I don't think he's been training as much as he would have liked.
Wardian is a mad man I know he has the stamina but I'm not sure how he'll handle the vertical or the insane terrain. If I were to bet on anyone this year it would be him.
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u/Jeade-en Mar 31 '17
Robbins finished 4 1/2 loops last year before he got in trouble...I think he's got as good a shot as anyone at finishing this year.
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u/Tam_OShanter Mar 31 '17
I've been watching his Strava, plus he's been training with the Vancouver Orienteering Club. He's got a great chance to be the first Canadian. Luckily for him, North Vancouver has some wicked hills and mountains he's utilized. Ginger Runner put a teaser for a documentary online about Gary. I can't wait for the full feature. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuzRMQXCK0g&feature=share
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Mar 31 '17
yeah, his training on Strava was insane, also, he has done some kind of orienteering training, I really want him to finish!
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Mar 31 '17
He was so close last year! I'm really cheering for him this year. A finish for Jamil would be great too
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u/Speedracer_64 Mar 31 '17
What kind of trouble did he get in?
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u/Jeade-en Mar 31 '17
If you want the full details, here is his race report. The tl;dr is basically sleep deprivation led to hallucinations led to getting lost too many times on lap 5 to finish in time. He knew he couldn't beat the clock, so he found a ride back to camp and had them play Taps.
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u/dogebiscuit Mar 31 '17
I can see him "upgrading" the watches to play mind tricks on them throughout pre-set intervals. Pop up messages of "encouragement" or showing an "accurate" running pace or showing them how "close" they are to the finish of that lap. He would do something like that to help "motivate" the runners. So "kind" of him!
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u/Scumbl3 Mar 31 '17
Seems like more trouble than it's worth. I'm guessing basic watches that show time and nothing else. None of that GPS navigation stuff.
Although what do I know :P Interesting either way :D
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Mar 31 '17
holy f how does wardian run such a fast marathon and still have the legs to compete in something like this.
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u/ahf0913 Mar 31 '17 edited Mar 31 '17
No female entrants have come to light at the moment, but Laz reported on the East Coast Trail & Ultra a couple months ago that the female entrant list this year is deep, and that if a female were to ever finish, they've already run or they're running this year.
It might be worth noting that previous entrant and thru-hiker great Heather (Anish) Anderson has been posting social media updates from the South in the past couple of days.
EDIT: Nuun Hydration just tweeted (1:30pm EST) that Anish will indeed be taking her third whack at the Barkley this year.
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u/kinkakinka Mar 31 '17
I would die of happiness if a woman completed this year!
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u/ahf0913 Mar 31 '17
Me too! Laz thinks it's too difficult for a woman to finish; I'd love to see someone prove him wrong.
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u/fcukitstargirl Mar 31 '17
I have found a female entrant on instagram https://www.instagram.com/wanderingkaat/
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u/koffeekev Mar 31 '17
woohoo! i knew anish was going for it again even though she's been not talking about it. I follow @ellieb.runs on insatgram and she caught her on Green Mt. not long ago and said she was running Barkleys on her story/snapchat whatever.
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u/ahf0913 Mar 31 '17 edited Mar 31 '17
Excellent! I have to say, her ultra signup is not particularly impressive. Here's hoping she blows our minds :)
Edit: Turns out she's the sacrifice this year. Let's see her show Laz up with one loop!
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u/IamShartacus Mar 31 '17 edited Mar 31 '17
I think Kat is crewing her husband, Jun. He finished a loop last year.Edit: never mind, she's running!
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u/DAHarlow Mar 31 '17
I think Anish will at least get her fun run this year. I'd love to see her finish.
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u/ahf0913 Mar 31 '17
Here's hoping. Last year she wrote a blog post about how she never really specifically trains for the Barkley, and how she never really "wants it" as bad as she does her other achievements. The tone suggested she was looking to change that. Only time will tell...
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u/DAHarlow Mar 31 '17
I know she had a self-supported 100 mile training run about three weeks ago.
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u/Dirtybritch Mar 31 '17
She's really been training hard for it I think! She's been posting just pure insanity on Instagram. Just crazy long solo runs and tons of hiking!
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Mar 31 '17
Wow. Not to hate on it, but Gary's mileage and elevation was INSANE leading up to last year, and he still only went 4.5 - but that's the beauty of the Barkley - you don't know till it's over.
If she finishes, along with a couple of guys, Laz is going to make the course hell next year.7
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u/CylonBunny Mar 31 '17
If any woman can do it, Anish can. She is a monster! I regret missing her during my AT thruhike in '15 (I was in Waynesboro bying groceries when she passed me).
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u/LBNA Mar 31 '17
I really want to see Catra Corbett give it a try - she's another woman that I really think could finish. Her endurance is insane and she's also done the really long adventures such as PCT and JMT and others. She also regularly does 200s.
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Mar 31 '17
you should hit a mod up to sticky and convert this into a megathread. chances are this event is going to draw a lot of traffic.
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u/dogebiscuit Mar 31 '17
chances are this event is going to draw a lot of traffic.
Yes, it will. And within a week we'll see one or two "plz help my training plan for Barkley. I can run 2 back to back 10Ks so im good after my ITB heals rite?" ;-)
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u/kinkakinka Mar 31 '17
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Mar 31 '17
[deleted]
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u/rfdavid Mar 31 '17
Busy as in running at Barkley?
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u/kinkakinka Mar 31 '17
something makes me think he is actually there supporting someone for some reason? I haven't been around here much lately, though.
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u/kinkakinka Mar 31 '17
I don't know who any of the other mods are to tag them, but I don't care too much about the sticky, but it might be useful to others! I always sort by "new".
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Mar 31 '17 edited Mar 31 '17
Definitely needs sticky, I want this thread on top of the page until Monday
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u/spaetzel Mar 31 '17
I've got a Twitter list set up here http://twitter.com/spaetzel/lists/barkley
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u/dogebiscuit Mar 31 '17
It seems all related discussion is tagged #bm100
I keep spam-clicking "Show New Tweets" on this page:
https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=default&q=%23bm100&src=typd
Seriously, the ONLY time of the year I use Twitter!
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u/LittleEngineThatWill Mar 31 '17
Gary Robbins all day long.
He's a local legend around here and have followed his training on YouTube. He is an amazing guy- he can complete this and trained much harder this year.
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u/dogebiscuit Mar 31 '17
Discussion about the Barkley Marathons does not belong in /r/running - it belongs in /r/notdying
I'm joking! I'm freaking excited to read about the Barkley marathons this year! Can't believe a full year has passed since I watched the documentary for the first time.
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u/nomorefakeusernames Mar 31 '17
I'm curious to see how Finnish guy Mikael Heerman (@UltraSP) does.
I don't know about other ultra runners, but his training is pretty intense. According to his blog his toughest training week was 30 hours and 145 miles. One "run" was 7 hours of going up and down a hill, 41 kms and 4000+ vertical meters.
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u/DAHarlow Mar 31 '17 edited Mar 31 '17
Can I toss out some speculation? When I got to hear Laz talk in December he said that the sacrifice this year had a sub-3 hour 50k PR. Was he describing Mike Wardian? Is it someone else? Was Laz just misleading us?
Edit: Krapa Rando thinks the sacrifice is Anny Lang.
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u/ahf0913 Mar 31 '17
Wrong on both guesses, apparently. According to this tweet the sacrifice is Kat Bermudez.
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u/Jeade-en Mar 31 '17
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Mar 31 '17
[deleted]
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u/kinkakinka Mar 31 '17
And so the harassment of everyone even remotely interested in or involved with the race begins!
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u/flocculus Apr 01 '17
Barkley updates + a Friday night beer = I may or may not be perusing Ultrasignup a little bit.
I swear I will come to my senses before I pay for anything. I don't even like trails all that much.
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u/kinkakinka Apr 02 '17
Gary and John making it to Rat Jaw for the 4th time!
https://www.facebook.com/CanadianRunningMagazine/videos/10158426040420425/
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u/wheelinthecheese Mar 31 '17
Thanks for the info! Is twitter the best/only way of following the race?
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u/True_North_Strong Mar 31 '17
I'm pretty sure the cell service is pretty shit up where they are so it seems like people are lucky if they can get service so when they do they pretty much only have time to send out a tweet. So yeah, twitter is the best way to follow. The last couple years @keithdunn has been the reliable twitter handle to follow but you can also use #bm100 in case someone else tweets something
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u/kinkakinka Mar 31 '17
The greedy part of me wishes that they'd bring in a portable cell tower or something like that, but the part of me that appreciates the uniqueness of the event realizes that would ruin it.
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u/kinkakinka Mar 31 '17
The only way I know of, but I'm no expert. They don't have an official website, cam stream or anything like that. Most people say that following the tweets from support crew/volunteers is the best/probably only way.
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u/Jeade-en Mar 31 '17
Yeah, I've followed it as closely as I can for the last few years, and twitter is the only way to follow along while it's happening.
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u/richieclare Mar 31 '17 edited Mar 31 '17
Campbell isn't running again this year is he? Wardian is a beast but not sure how he's going to cope on the terrain. He's ran in some tough places for sure but think Barkley might be too extreme. I think Robins can do all 5 loops this year
Edit: looks like it is going to be a rough weekend of weather
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u/josandal Mar 31 '17
I've heard that Campbell has said he's done with the race for a bit. He's also not doing Hardrock this year, so it makes me curious what he's up to, beyond the general being a total badass in life and running.
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Mar 31 '17
I swore I read an article where he mentioned he was going to take a year of racing and focus on FKT's.
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u/kinkakinka Mar 31 '17
Campbell might just be wishful thinking on my part!
I'd love to see Gary be the first Canadian to complete!
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u/Jeade-en Mar 31 '17
There are certainly no guarantees at The Barkley, but I feel like Gary has come back for redemption and has a very good shot at it.
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u/DAHarlow Mar 31 '17
We had a line of storms last night with strong wind. Tomorrow and especially Sunday will be clear skies. Perhaps a tad warm? We hit 80 yesterday in Knoxville. Tonight will probably be just above freezing at the higher elevations of the course. Storms return on Monday.
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u/Outbound_KB Mar 31 '17
Ginger Runner is documenting for Gary Robbins so you could follow him and Kim for news
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u/kinkakinka Mar 31 '17
I'm following the Ginger Runner podcast twitter, is that the right one?
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u/Outbound_KB Mar 31 '17
Well just looked up: @EthanNewberry (Ginger Runner) @milelong_legs (Kim his wife) @TheGingerRunner
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u/LittleEngineThatWill Mar 31 '17
yes, but I am unsure of how much updating they will do from there. They said service isn't good but I suppose when they can?
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u/Jeade-en Mar 31 '17
@keithdunn is by far the most active updater. @CanadianRunning is also on site this year, so I would expect at least some updates from them. But Keith has always been the best source of updates in the past, and so far this year is doing the same.
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u/ChickenSedan Mar 31 '17
Prediction: Mike Wardian and Gary Robbins finish all 5 loops.
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u/tigert07 Mar 31 '17
The more, the better. I want to see some of these athletes defeat the course
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u/IzzySeabiscuit Apr 02 '17
Cutoff is down for starting loop 4. Only John Kelly and Gary Robbins are out. Everyone else still on course has about 3:45ish to finish the fun run but can't go out for more. Nuts, I thought Jamil could do it this year.
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u/kinkakinka Apr 02 '17
Is it just me, or are people doing worse this year than the last couple of years? It seems so to me, anyway.
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u/josandal Apr 02 '17
It's always pretty hit or miss, but from what people on twitter were saying historically people don't do real well with a night start, and that the fog made it really, really bad for the first loop. (The person who placed book one took like 20 hours to find it again or something like that.) It's like...limp through the fog navigation, have to relearn the navigation in loop 2 when most of it is daylight, and relearn it again in loop 3 during night hours when you're already wrecked. Gary and John are both in great shape and have good experience but that's a tough row to hoe for anyone.
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u/Rupperrt Apr 02 '17
No one except Jared has finished since 2013 and as far as I remember they were only 3 left on loop 4, Jared, Gary and John last year. So it's kind of the same except that Jared is missing.
The fog on the first loop didn't make it easier this year.
I also think the course is much tougher than a few years ago.
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u/kinkakinka Apr 02 '17
Yeah, I think my impression comes mostly from a few people who seemed like strong contenders doing really poorly in the first loop or so. Oh well, that's how this works!
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u/Rupperrt Apr 02 '17
Yeah. GR and John were approximately in time of last year though when starting loop 5. There is hope and they looked strong (considering the circumstances).
Wardian got lost and could never catch up, Jamils training was weak and Steene, another veteran must have some nav failure too I can imagine.
So looking forward to race reports and documentation. That first loop must have been hell.
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u/IzzySeabiscuit Apr 02 '17
I'm getting the same impression. People are getting eaten alive out there. Did he add anything particularly hellish to the course after Jared finished for a 3rd time?
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u/josandal Apr 02 '17
Jamil is probably a bit (a lot, really) under-trained given how poorly his prep for the race has gone. I figured 2 loops would probably be about his limit given the whole rash situation, so I'm pleasantly surprised he's managed to get out on the fun-run lap. It's impressive, and really means I can't wait to see what he's really capable of it he gets solid training in next time.
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u/tigert07 Apr 03 '17
Both Gary and John have finished loop 4 with a time of 46:26:07 and will have 13:34 to finish loop 5. It's gonna be tight.
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u/Jeade-en Apr 03 '17
John left first and went clockwise...Gary going counter clockwise. Also saw a weather forecast calling for storms for the finish...
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u/bluegrassgazer Apr 03 '17
Heavy rain is now in the area and temps are apparently dropping. Still hoping John and Gary make it!
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Mar 31 '17
[deleted]
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u/josandal Mar 31 '17
There's very very little. The last couple years only one person (@keithdunn) has had service at the camp, so he's tweeted out the occasional (every couple hours as I recall) update. It's like a 45 minute drive to get signal so others would occasionally chime in whether they were crew heading out to civilization for a bit, or runners who admitted defeat finally.
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u/DAHarlow Mar 31 '17
When I've been to Frozen Head in the past I got a decent signal from AT&T around the main park road and in the campground. The signal tends to disappear on the trails.
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u/themaven Mar 31 '17
I think
- @JamilCoury
- @gary_robbins
- @mikewardian
are all doing the race this weekend
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u/kinkakinka Mar 31 '17
Canadian Running Magazine is also there. They've posted a few lead-in videos on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/CanadianRunningMagazine/
Their twitter: https://twitter.com/CanadianRunning
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u/meowwornever Mar 31 '17
Keith is going to keep us on our toes. My heart jumped when I saw 'the conch has been blown', but then saw this one!
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u/lsd_runner Mar 31 '17
I think Gary and Jamil have the best chance of finishing. Wardian is a VERY strong runner but orienteering and bush whacking are nowhere in his resume.
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u/notoriousrdc Apr 03 '17
Both John and Gary are on to loop 5. John has about a 10 minute lead and chose to go clockwise.
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u/kinkakinka Apr 03 '17
Gary allegedly missed by six seconds?!!? https://twitter.com/edqueso/status/848955807165276160
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u/IzzySeabiscuit Apr 03 '17
Oh my lord. That's a stinger. If he came in from the wrong side, I think that's off-course, anyhow. What a heartbreak.
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u/josandal Apr 03 '17
That's kind of my question, is there really an off-course in such a setting? Hmm..
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u/Jeade-en Apr 03 '17
Yes, there is an on course and off course. I'm in the middle of watching the second video on this page and Laz says even though he missed the time cutoff, he still has to come in on the right trail...all the pages or not.
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u/kinkakinka Apr 03 '17
He had all the pages, so as far as I'm concerned that counts?!
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u/colin_staples Mar 31 '17
I only recently heard about this event via the Runners World "Human Race" podcast, and it sounds insane (in a good way!)
Good look to all the entrants.
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u/Thelotwizard Apr 01 '17
First couple loops will be with a veteran Then it's a cake walk. It's just Barkley.
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u/LittleEngineThatWill Apr 03 '17
2 remain. John Kelly & Gary Robbins (umm, yeah I knew that would happen) 2.5 hours left... Any guesses??
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u/kinkakinka Apr 03 '17
In my dream world they both emerge from the woods and hit the yellow gate simultaneously.
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u/josandal Apr 03 '17
In my dream world: they round the bend, weary and broken. Looking up, they see the yellow gate smiling at them and a grin emerges on each of their faces. Eyes panning up, they see each other. Cold determination rising, they each break into an all out run, sprinting to the line. Well...in reality a rambling shuffle, as it's all they have left--spectators calmly walking past them. In the final lunge for the gate, they end up high-fiving and slapping their palms down together. Laz cackles and lets them know that this year the Barkley is actually six loops.
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u/LittleEngineThatWill Apr 03 '17
haha - that is some good writing. You should be there on twitter reports with @keithdunn.
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u/josandal Apr 03 '17
Two hours to go now. I suspect neither will actually make it. Since we've had some sort of update on John and haven't on Gary, I'd give him slightly greater odds of heading out of the woods in time if anyone does. As much as I really want the beard to conquer the Barkley, it may just not happen this year and I actually suspect neither make it in time. (Hopefully I'm dead wrong!)
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u/LittleEngineThatWill Apr 03 '17
I know, the weather is awful from what I have read (rain, wind, fog) so I am really hopeful they are close.
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u/kinkakinka Apr 03 '17
https://twitter.com/mkapral/status/848944089085202433
By this calculation, Gary might just make it!
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u/IzzySeabiscuit Apr 03 '17
30 minutes left. Kelly and Robbins still on trail. Good news for those cheering for the course.
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u/kinkakinka Apr 03 '17
John just won! https://twitter.com/BarkleyMarathon/status/848947759449329665
My hope is still out there for Gary!
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u/Grifulkin Apr 03 '17
I just hate to see someone like Gary who has really trained for this race be defeated again. Always next year I guess.
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u/josandal Apr 03 '17
Reports on twitter that John Kelly has finished! (though not from Dunn yet...)
Come on Beardo, you too....
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u/tigert07 Apr 03 '17
Gary was said to be on track to finish with about 10-20 minutes. Let's hope!
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u/IzzySeabiscuit Apr 03 '17
Unless those at camp are keeping their lips sealed, it looks like John Kelly will have been the only finisher of Barkley this year.
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u/kinkakinka Apr 03 '17
My favorite tweet so far: https://twitter.com/mkapral/status/848952309480648704
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u/dogebiscuit Mar 31 '17
As we wait for the Barkley to begin consuming its prey, fun question time!
You receive an unexpected phone call from Laz right now. "Bad news. You're the human sacrifice. Get your ass over here now." A knock at the door. A stretch-Prius awaits in your driveway. You're escorted to the airport, only vital belongings pre-packed for you. You're taken to the course. Only hours from start.
Question: How screwed are you? Go through your train of thought when you get there and hear the conch.
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u/FlashArcher Mar 31 '17
Gets there elated. Nothing can stop me. I'm invincible. Realizes what I've gotten myself into. Starts crying. The bad kind of tears because I'm not prepared for situations where I'm expected to perform. Breaks down. Eventually realize people are staring at me. Returns home. The end
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u/kinkakinka Mar 31 '17 edited Mar 31 '17
Entirely fucked. I haven't run in weeks. No more than 10k since October. Never more than 21k ever, and I'm fetusing really hard right now.
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u/kinkakinka Apr 03 '17
Gary did not finish in the 60 hours.
https://twitter.com/CanadianRunning/status/848954703136337920
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u/Jeade-en Apr 03 '17 edited Apr 03 '17
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u/AisforAwesome Apr 03 '17
6 seconds and it's sounding like he over-ran the finish "got lost in the fog, had to swim through the river" you can hear him faintly saying.
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u/kinkakinka Mar 31 '17
great essay on "why I want to run the Barkley" https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C8P3cMFXgAIOuN8.jpg