The first woman to complete the Barkley Marathons
As I train for my first ever marathon, I look to powerful women to keep me disciplined and inspired. One of the most remarkable stories I’ve heard is that of Jasmin Paris, the first woman to complete the Barkley Marathons (Brown). To honor Paris’s accomplishments, I would like to look back at her completion of this race, in hopes of inspiring us to push ourselves and see what we’re capable of.
March 22 marks the completion of the 2024 Barkley Marathons, an incredible 100-mile ultramarathon with a time limit of 60 hours (Iltis and Kane). While I am astonished at every year’s participants, last year was especially significant, as it marked the first time a woman finished the race.
Jasmin Paris, a 40-year-old runner from Midlothian, Scotland, finished all five 20-mile loops with just 99 seconds to spare. She has previously attempted the race in both 2022 and 2023, completing the third loop on her first attempt. The founder of the race considers three out of the five loops a “fun run”, totaling a distance of 60 miles. With confidence, Paris went into the 2024 ultramarathon with “a strong feeling in the months of training and run up to the race that I could do it.” She completed the race by touching the gate and collapsing out of exhaustion, becoming the 20th runner to complete the Barkley Marathons, which began in 1989 (Brown).
Paris has a history of incredible races behind her, previously completing the Montane Spine Race, which spans from Derbyshire to the Scottish borders for a total of 268 miles. In 2019, she broke the race record, over 12 hours less than the previous record (Brown). Making countless headlines, her incredible accomplishments are inspiring for runners all around the world.
In case you haven’t heard of the Barkley Marathons before, they are filled with unique traditions and a treacherous route. Each year, hundreds of people apply, with an application fee of just $1.60, though only 40 are accepted. If allowed to participate, runners must bring a license plate from their hometown and whatever the race’s founder is in need of that year. In past years, this has included flannels, white t-shirts and even socks. Located in Tennessee, the race begins at a random time between midnight and noon, its start signified by the blowing of a conch shell. The route is extremely confusing, with two-thirds of it off-trail and entirely unmarked. Participants are given a map and must memorize the route beforehand. As if this isn’t challenging enough, each loop consists of 12,000 feet of elevation. All five loops are equivalent to climbing Mt. Everest – not once, but twice. In order to successfully accomplish the race, participants must finish it in under 60 hours. Sleeping and eating are allowed between loops, but the clock never stops, so time must be used strategically. Many participants report fitting in strikingly few hours of sleep, with some even hallucinating by the end (Iltis and Kane).
The remarkably difficult and unique race is well known as one of the most challenging ultramarathons to date, pushing all participants to both their physical and mental limits. Jasmin Paris’s incredible story shows how you can truly do anything you set your mind to, and I keep her strength in mind when training becomes difficult.
Citations:
Brown, Angie. “Jasmin Paris First Woman to Complete Gruelling Barkley Marathons Race.” BBC News, BBC, 24 Mar. 2024, www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-68643341
Iltis, Annika and Timothy James Kane, directors. The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young. Gravitas Ventures, 2014, https://barkleymovie.com/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025