Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
“Finally, we could have done a loop by now.” - John Kelly
Nearly at the last possible minute, the 2025 Barkley Marathons kicked off on Tuesday at 11:37 AM.
After a record five finishers in the previous year's race, one of the biggest questions heading into this year's event was whether — and how — the course would be adjusted to once again push the limits of human endurance.
The 2024 race had been memorable not just for its record finishers but also for the camaraderie among the elite field. Runners launched an all-out assault on the course, with top navigators leading the way, fanning out across book locations, and relying on collective effort to maintain an advantage. As Laz later remarked, with so many elites working together, “the course could not kill them all!”
What would the 2025 field look like? With front-runners like Jared Campbell, Greig Hamilton, Jasmin Paris, Ihor Verys, and Damien Hall absent, how would the veteran presence take shape? How might book numbers and locations change? What new sections could be added to the course?
We would soon find out...
Thanks to @nordarun, @gorewear, and @naak for supporting our coverage.
Partners:
Norda - check out the 005: the lightest, fastest, most stable trail racing shoe ever made (nordarun.com/)
Gorewear - use code SINGLETRACKPOD30 at checkout on their website to get 30% off your purchase.
Naak - use code SINGLETRACK20 at checkout on their website (naak.com/) to get 20% off your purchase.
Raide - Making equipment for efficient human-powered movement in the mountains (raideresearch.com/)
“Finally, we could have done a loop by now.” - John Kelly
Nearly at the last possible minute, the 2025 Barkley Marathons kicked off on Tuesday at 11:37 AM.
After a record five finishers in the previous year's race, one of the biggest questions heading into this year's event was whether — and how — the course would be adjusted to once again push the limits of human endurance.
The 2024 race had been memorable not just for its record finishers but also for the camaraderie among the elite field. Runners launched an all-out assault on the course, with top navigators leading the way, fanning out across book locations, and relying on collective effort to maintain an advantage. As Laz later remarked, with so many elites working together, “the course could not kill them all!”
What would the 2025 field look like? With front-runners like Jared Campbell, Greig Hamilton, Jasmin Paris, Ihor Verys, and Damien Hall absent, how would the veteran presence take shape? How might book numbers and locations change? What new sections could be added to the course?
We would soon find out...
Thanks to @nordarun, @gorewear, and @naak for supporting our coverage.
Partners:
Norda - check out the 005: the lightest, fastest, most stable trail racing shoe ever made (nordarun.com/)
Gorewear - use code SINGLETRACKPOD30 at checkout on their website to get 30% off your purchase.
Naak - use code SINGLETRACK20 at checkout on their website (naak.com/) to get 20% off your purchase.
Raide - Making equipment for efficient human-powered movement in the mountains (raideresearch.com/)
