The only thing allowed is the use of a compass to orient yourself and a couple of points where you can drink water. The design of this ultramarathon includes a curious method to control that the runners follow the established circuit . At various points along the route there is a book from which each athlete must tear out the page that corresponds to his or her bib nu Whatsapp Number List mber. At the end of each stage they must show the organization the pages that correspond to them. The toughness of the race is captured in devastating data. Although almost 40 years have passed since the first edition, only 17 athletes have managed to finish all sections of the test . 40 athletes participate every year . Aside from the hardness of this race, which is extreme, one of the elements that stands out about it is how the idea of its celebration came about and what requirements are needed to participate in it.
On June 10, 1977, James Earl Ray, convicted of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., escaped from the Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary (Tennessee) along with six other convicts. They fled to the mountains near the prison and were captured 55 hours later 13 kilometers from the penitentiary. Gary Lazarus Lake Cantrell, creator of The Barkley Marathons. (Photo: La Fragua) A resident of the area, Gary Lazarus Lake Cantrell, heard the news and began to criticize James Earl Ray's lack of endurance, since he had only traveled 13 kilometers in 55 hours. He understood that in 60 hours it was possible to travel 10 miles (160 kilometers). To prove it, he decided to organize The Barkley Marathons. Thus, in 1986 the first edition was held. If it is difficult to complete the distance in the established time and with the conditions imposed by Gary Cantrell, it is no less difficult to have the honor of participating in this competition. The organizer only allows the competition of a maximum of 40 runners per edition .