Some will suggest that by
their very nature, there is something seriously wrong
with those devoted folks who push their bodies to the
brink by undertaking various distances of ultra-marathons.
Of course, those in this
camp will contend that with proper training and a keen
awareness of one’s own body, ultras are actually
quite manageable.
But even those folks are
apt to note that it’s a whole other level of obsession
when one decides to tackle the legend that is the Barkley
Marathon.
For as much as a story on
THE actual Barkley Marathon, the one that is staged in
Frozen State Head Park in Tennessee, the one that was
launched in 1986 by the race icon that is Gary “Lazarus
Lake” Cantrell, the one that requires a really solid
understanding of the peculiarities of the rules and logistics
on race day would constitute an incredible story in and
of itself, this column is actually being devoted to its
Sudbury offspring.
The Sudbury Barkley, as it
was dubbed by the “maniacs” (as the organizers
were affectionately referred to by Fun Run finisher and
DNF runner Lisa Zych), was introduced for the very first
time last Sunday, contested largely among the gazillion
or so trails that criss-cross the Lake Laurentian Conservation
Area and adjacent lands.
While only 40 entries are
accepted every year for the authentic event in Tennessee,
the local group that was headed by André Dumais,
Helen Francis, David Crockett and Vince Perdue sent out
invitations to 45 or so locals, with 16 registering, ten
starting the race and only three completing the full three
laps that covered roughly 90 kilometres.
“The Barkley is almost
a cult-like race, very clandestine and under the radar,”
explained Dumais as the 15 hour maximum allotted time
to completion was beginning to draw near. “It’s
known as the most difficult ultra marathon on the planet,
the race that eats its young.”
The challenges run well beyond
the sheer distance that is being covered.
Staying true to several of
the unique aspects of the American race namesake, the
Sudbury Barkley would see participants present themselves
to the trail start just off the Bio-Ski parking lot at
4:00 a.m. last Sunday. It was only then that the actual
course that was to be completed was shared with the athletes
– well, sort of.
“We didn’t get
a trail map, per se,” explained Zych, a native Torontonian
who moved north with a northern-rooted spouse and subsequently
wandered across a good number of the more fervent fitness
buffs in the region to finally make her way to taking
a crack at the Sudbury race.
(falling short of completing
the laps in the requisite time, Zych and Stacy Halohan
covered some 63.5km in earning their stripes as “Fun
Run” finishers – with Jeffrey Paul also in
that grouping)
“We got a blank map
and had to mark where the books were.”
Ah yes, the infamous books.
In essence, the race completion
is based on making your way through trails and lands that
are groomed, or perhaps not, searching for a series of
books (the Sudbury Barkley had 18 scattered to and fro).
Upon reaching the books, participants are to rip out the
page that corresponds with their bib number, providing
proof of having reached that check point.
“It’s kind of
like a weird scavenger hunt,” said Zych with a laugh.
“We did a lot of bushwhacking to try and find shortcuts
– which I think was pretty successful.”
Like the original Barkley,
there is no standard outlined course for this race. It
changes from year to year, with participants allowed to
create their own pathway, in a sense.
“Runners make their
own choice on how they are going to run the course,”
noted Dumais. “Of the six lead runners (a group
that completed the first loop of 30km in about 4hrs and
25 minutes – or with slightly more than 30 minutes
to spare), five know these trails inside and out –
and they still lost 25 minutes looking for a book.”
“Between book nine
and book then, there are probably 30 different ways to
get there. It’s so easy to get turned around and
get lost.”
Understandably, participants
are stripped of their phones and their watches –
basically anything that can provide navigational assistance
beyond the maps they received at the start.
For the record, Shelley Walushka,
Michael Rouleau and Jake Geale comprised the triumphant
trio who successfully defeated the Sudbury challenge this
year. Of the 40 participants who were sent “letter
of condolences” signalling their accepted entry
to the Tennessee race, five made it to the very end in
2024, including Jasmin Paris from Britain, the first woman
ever to conquer the Barkley.
A relatively casual runner
through high-school and college, Zych ran her first ultra
roughly three years ago when she completed an Apex 50km
run. And while one might think the natural progression
for these folks would be to move from a 10km, on to a
half-marathon (21kms), then taking a shot at the full
marathon (42kms) before jumping into an ultra, such seems
to seldom be the case.
“I don’t really
do a lot of racing,” said Zych. “But I would
do a 20 km run for fun. Last summer, I committed to doing
at least a 20km run every weekend – and then kept
that up after the season ended. I love trail running,
but I also love that I can get more kilometres in more
quickly on the road.”
As for her inaugural Sudbury
Barkley, Zych provided clear evidence of the double-edged
sword that draws those of her ilk to challenges like this.
“This was really hard,”
she stressed. “I am really glad to be done.”
And still it took her only
an hour or so to send in her registration, from the time
she was asked – and she is every bit as likely to
be just as prompt again in 2025.
Ultra marathoners are a different
breed, to be sure.
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