The Man Behind the Most Grueling Footrace on Earth

5,018,377

81,463 1,118

Published 2016-11-07

Since its inception in 1986, the Barkley Marathons has had only 14 finishers. Set in the mountains of Tennessee, this 100-mile footrace covers about 66 thousand feet of climb over grueling terrain and must be completed within 60 hours. It's designed for failure. So who thought it up, and why? We had to find out.

This Great Big Story was inspired by Genesis.

SUBSCRIBE: goo.gl/vR6Acb

Follow us behind the scenes on Instagram: goo.gl/2KABeX
Make our acquaintance on Facebook: goo.gl/Vn0XIZ
Give us a shout on Twitter: goo.gl/sY1GLY
Come hang with us on Vimeo: goo.gl/T0OzjV
Visit our world directly: www.greatbigstory.com/

Great Big Story is a video network dedicated to the untold, overlooked & flat-out amazing. Humans are capable of incredible things & we're here to tell their stories. When a rocket lands in your backyard, you get in.

All Comments (21)

@B-hyphy 7 years ago

"If you don't have any discomfort in your life, how do you know when you feel good?"
@emmanuelserrato7805 5 years ago

This is how my parents would go to school everyday
@b79747 4 years ago

This man just said the competition started 34 years ago and only FOURTEEN PEOPLE HAVE FINISHED ?! 💀
@arbysbeefandcheese5216 4 years ago

"He's like a sadist or something" sips yoo-hoo from a box "He's a bit of a sassy man" "A true backwoods rebel"
@themadkraken1912 5 years ago

The Fitness Gram Pacer Test is a multistage aerobic...
@user-bw4fs6wn3t 5 years ago

I would do that if my mom is chasing me with a belt
@Mitch-rd9gs 3 years ago

“If you don’t have any discomfort in your life, how do you know when you feel good?” Absolutely love that
@RaviofromsALinkBetweenWorlds 4 years ago

“People think he’s a sadist” The man: drinking milk from box
@soapboy5556 5 years ago

It’s basically the first phase of the hunter x hunter exam but harder
@anime0wolfs12 5 years ago

Can we just appreciate that he is simply drinking a Yahoo juice box. Like this dude is crazy smart and stuff but he also likes juice boxes.
@Suptom1 4 years ago

Why did i read the title as "the man behind the most grueling footage on earth"
@Tsu_Ai 4 years ago

When you keep seeing the same tree. Me: something aint right.
@iubball410 4 years ago

“Yeahp, we always use a Camel because that is about the best cigarette, I think.” Spoken like a true running enthusiast.
@TwelveFiftyKings 5 years ago

'If you don't experience any discomfort in life how do you know when you feel good' Wow 👍
@justaguywhogotlostintherec1527 3 years ago

And then theres that one athletic kid who instead of jogging, sprints all 4 laps and overdoes everything in PE. I'm looking at you Brandon!
@anti_fascist 4 years ago

Laz : I’m not a sadist. Also him : “The fact that they’ll probably almost certainly fail makes it more appealing”
@deusvult316 5 years ago

The man behind the most grueling footrace: shows a thumbnail with a crying female
@crystalm4324 5 years ago

I’ve actually watched a documentary on one of his races being done from start to finish. It is brutal and unrelenting. The most crucial thing is their footwear. Because they cross many streams the challenge is to keep your feet dry. God help those that wear new shoes. The layering of socks is an art form. Even with all cautions, it is the feet that can make or break finishing in so many contestants.
@gavinposey1946 3 years ago

Some things not mentioned in the video, The race can start from any time from 12 am to 12 pm and is announced one hour prior by the sound of a bugle It is extremely hard to enter because there is no website and no address. When you get your acceptance letter it is formatted as condolences
@adamtian7801 4 years ago

Imagine being that person who takes out someone else's bid from the books so they can't finish the course.