Ihor Verys crowned an
incredible debut at the 2024 Barkley Marathons by being
the first finisher of the infamous race in rural Tennessee.
Verys, who moved to Canada from Ukraine
as a student nine years ago, has had a meteoric rise in
ultrarunning circles – winning virtually every race
since his opener at the Finlayson Arm 100K, which was
only in 2021.
That included the HURT 100 in Honolulu
earlier this year but until now he is probably best known
for the “assist” to winner Harvey Lewis in
what was an epic – and world-record breaking duel
– at the Big’s Backyard Ultra last year.
Lewis was last person standing with 108
hour loops to Verys’ 107 and there’s a remarkable
connection too with Gary Robbins, a man inextricably linked
to the Barkley, who just happened to be the neighbour
(10 doors down) who introduced Verys to ultrarunning!
Verys’ performance at the Barkley
could hardly have been more accomplished. Before him in
the 30+ years history of the event, just 17 had completed
five 20-mile loops in the allotted 60 hours, featuring
the elevation equivalent of climbing up and down Mount
Everest twice, from sea level.
He was in the leading group of six after
loop one, stayed there as it was reduced to five on loop
two, was first out following loop three and then repeated
that after loop four which allowed him to choose his direction
for the fifth and final loop, going for clockwise.
How the final loop
played out
Reports from Rat Jaw well into that last loop suggested
Verys was in great shape – Harvey Lewis says he
told him at that point: “It’s only 60 hours,
not 107,” in reference to their prolonged battle
at Big’s Backyard.
And he had more than an hour to spare
when he made it back to the famed yellow gate in a time
of 58:44:59 to follow in the footsteps of last year’s
first home Aurélien Sanchez, who also triumphed
on his first visit to Frozen Head State Park.
In what is such a brutal physical and mental test the
emphasis is very much on anyone who manages to complete
it – rather than the order they arrive back –
and that was the next question as a record seven runners
started the fifth and final loop.
All eyes then on Jasmin Paris and
the others
And next back was John Kelly at 59:15:38 who cemented
his position as a Barkley Marathons legend with what at
that point was a record-equalling third finish.
American star Kelly was #15 finisher in
2017 and no one would rack up five laps again until last
year when he claimed completion number two alongside Aurélien
Sanchez and Karel Sabbe.
But, not long after that, the benchmark
for Barkley finishes was raised from three to four by
Jared Campbell, who earlier had been responsible for one
of the great sporting gestures.
New Zealander Greig Hamilton rewrote the
record books again as he became the fourth person (and
#19 on the all-time list after Verys at #18) to finish
the same Barkley, the first time that has ever happened,
clocking 59:38:42.
But there was heartbreak for Brit Damian
Hall who came in from the wrong direction and didn’t
finish. We have more news on that here.
By now it had also been announced Frenchman
Sébastien Raichon did not complete loop five and
faced the bugler.
All of which left one person out on course
– Briton Jasmin Paris, who had
already made history by becoming the first woman to start
a fifth loop and was then aiming to go all the way.
And the magical news came through less
than two minutes before the cut off that she had indeed
made it (#20) – lots more on that below!
_________________________________________________________________
Jasmin Paris becomes
first woman to finish Barkley Marathons – ‘The
Race That Eats Its Young’
Jasmin Paris made ultrarunning history
when she became the first woman to finish the notorious
Barkley Marathons at Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee.
Until today – and in
the 30+ years since the race became a brutal five-loop
100-mile test which features as much elevation as climbing
Mount Everest twice – only 17 people, all men, had
made it to the end within the allotted 60 hours.
But no woman had previously
come closer previously than the mum of two, who is also
a vet and research scientist.
She completed what is called
a ‘Fun Run’ on her debut in 2022 by getting
through three of the loops. And then last year she became
the first female since 2001 to embark on a fourth loop.
But this time it was all
about trying to go all the way.
How
Jasmin Paris’ race panned out
Things had gone relatively smoothly on her third attempt.
She was quicker than previously (12 hours is the cut-off
for each loop) which all meant that she had not much more
than 13 hours to complete the fifth and final loop.
It was desperately tense waiting for news which, in what
must be unique for an incredibly popular sporting event,
still comes from one man’s X feed, adding to the
whole mystique of the event.
The cut-off in British time
was 21:17 on Friday night (5.17pm local time) and just
a single minute before that point, Keith Dunn posted:
“Jasmin Paris finished loop five of the #BM100 in
59:58:21.” |
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