No woman had ever finished the Barkley Marathons — until Jasmin Paris did with 99 seconds to spare
1st woman to finish the Barkley Marathons took 'great pleasure' in defying expectations
Originally published on April 23, 2024.
Jasmin Paris, the first woman ever to complete the Barkley Marathons, had to catch her breath before she took in the moment.
"It was [a] very intense moment, and I really had to sort of dig deep, deeper than I've ever had to dig before to get myself to the gate," the British runner, 40, told The Current's Matt Galloway.
"I just wanted to do it for me," she said. "It was kind of proving it to myself that I was capable of it."
Paris ran the race twice before, but never completed it — until this March, when she clocked in at 59 hours, 58 minutes and 21 seconds, just 99 seconds before the 60-hour cut-off time. She's the only woman to have ever completed the trail race.
"The fact that I, you know, did it as the first woman and proved a lot of people wrong — I think they thought a woman could never finish. Yeah, that was really satisfying. I got great pleasure from that."
More than 1,000 ultra-marathoners have attempted the Barkley Marathons in Frozen Head State Park in Morgan County, Tenn., since its first run in 1986. But only 20 people have ever completed the 161-kilometre course, including the first Canadian this year.
It was [a] very intense moment, and I really had to sort of dig deep, deeper than I've ever had to dig before to get myself to the gate.- Jasmin Paris, ultra-runner
The course, which consists of five laps and includes about 16,500 metres of elevation, is run through various types of terrains; from steep climbs and descents to treks through fallen trees and foliage, and must be completed without any kind of technological support.
"You've got no way of contacting anyone when you're out there. It's mostly off-trail, involves quite a lot of navigation," Paris said.
No time to rest
According to Paris, the Barkley Marathons demand a participant's full attention throughout the 60 hours.
"You have to be in the moment focusing on it, because the minute you start thinking much about anything else, then you would go wrong, because the navigation's such a key part of it."
This includes avoiding sleep.
"I said I was going to take a three-minute power nap before the last loop, but there isn't time," she said.
WATCH | How a Canadian conquered the 2024 Barkley Marathons
As the ultramarathon went on, Paris says she started seeing hallucinations amongst broken trees.
"I saw quite a lot of big cats, lions and that sort of thing — and pigs."
Paris also saw people in black raincoats dotted along the ridge above her.
"At one point they had a sort of quite sinister feel to them," she said. "The first time I saw them, I was really confused because you're not allowed to be off-trail in that park."
A history of excellence
Paris is no stranger to ultra sports like the Barkley Marathons. She has been a national fell running (hill running) champion, and she previously competed in tournaments for skyrunning — a type of mountain running.
Prior to the Barkley Marathons, her most famous victory was in the 2019 Spine Race. It's an ultramarathon held over a distance of around 431 kilometres from Edale, England, to Kirk Yetholm, Scotland, along the Pennine Way.
Participants are allowed seven days to complete the course, but Paris only needed 83 hours, 12 minutes and 23 seconds — or about three days — to complete it. That time was the fastest ever recorded by a participant — male or female — and it made Paris the first woman to win the event overall.
All the while, Paris was expressing milk for her nearly-14-month-old daughter during breaks.
In September, Paris plans on competing in the Tor des Géants, an endurance trail race in the Italian Alps. For now though, she's been enjoying the relaxation.
"I have eaten a lot of cake in the last three weeks. I'm gonna have to stop doing that," she said.
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Produced by Amanda Grant
