John Kelly at the Fire Tower at the Barkley Marathons In August 2018, Sabbe set an FKT on the Appalachian Trail, having previously set a (supported) speed record on the Pacific Crest Trail. He needs a fast final loop of around 13:30 in order to finish within the 60-hour cutoff. In 2022, Sabbe again attempted a fourth loop, but became disoriented from lack of sleep and wandered off the course, only to be returned to Frozen Head by local police.

The highly decorated Belgian ultrarunner, who is a dentist in his other life, completed three loops in 2019, but dropped out during his fourth loop. Sabbe is on his third attempt at the Barkley. (It seems to be working, considering he has made it to loop five, and completed each previous loop in under 13 hours.) On his Instagram page he has a story about visiting Frozen Head for the first time in May 2018 and finding a walnut shell on a pillar by the yellow gate, which he has carried with him in every race since as a talisman. ultras, as well as last year’s Diagonale des Fous 100-miler on Reunion Island. He is an experienced ultrarunner and 2:20 marathoner, leading the charge for the majority of the race, and was the first runner to complete the first four loops this year.įrom what we have gathered, Sanchez, 32, is from France but now lives in the U.S. This is Kelly’s sixth appearance at the race, though he has only finished once. At the time of publication, British runner Jasmin Pariswas still out on her fourth loop beyond the 48-hour cutoff time, she will be eliminated from the race when she arrives back at camp. There is a 48-hour cutoff time for runners wanting to begin a fifth loop. Barkley Marathons race director Laz Lake. Kelly is followed by Barkley virgin Aurélien Sanchez (45:57:09), Karel Sabbe (46:36:57) and Damian Hall (47:49:03). The last man to finish the Barkley in 2017, John Kelly, leads the group of four, finishing four loops in 45 hours, 50 minutes and 23 seconds. It has been a long six years since Frozen Head State Park and race director Laz Lake have seen a Barkley Marathons finisher, but for the first time in Barkley Marathons history, four runners have completed four loops and begun a fifth, and final, loop.

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