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2019 Barkley Marathons is 'love and puppies' for Laz
Some of the world's best runners are in Morgan County for this weekend's Barkley Marathons, a brutal 100-mile race that only 15 people have finished in 33 years.
Elite ultra-marathoners from six continents packed the campsite at Frozen Head State Park on Friday in Wartburg, Tenn. Now they patiently wait for the unpredictable start of the Barkley Marathons, a sinister 100-mile race filled with obstacles that pester routine-loving runners.
"There is nothing out there but love and puppies," laughed Gary Cantrell as he read the text on this year's shirt. "I think we'll have a higher finish-rate because of the positive wholesome attitude this year. Aren't there little hearts up in this corner [of my shirt]?"
Cantrell, also known as Lazarus Lake or Laz, helped concoct the ridiculous race that only 15 people have finished in 33 years. Some runners are repeat-finishers, making a total of 18 times someone has completed the 100-mile race within the 60-hour time limit.
If you have missed WBIR's many reports on the Barkley Marathons in previous years, here is a brief synopsis of the event: Runners write an essay and apply for entry in the Barkley Marathons. 40 runners are chosen each year from around the world.
Runners have 60 hours to complete five loops of 20+ miles through Frozen Head State Park. The course is unmarked and changes every year.
Runners get a map (poorly-drawn) of the course before the race begins. The start time is unknown, other than sometime between midnight and noon on Saturday.
A conch shell is blown to signal one hour until the start. Laz lights a cigarette to begin the race.
The yellow gate at the campsite and Brushy Mountain prison are always part of the route. Keeping with Laz's positive attitude, there has technically been a winner every year of the Barkley: a runner or the mountain.
"The mountain has been winning a lot more often than the runners. I think it has won 1,302 and been beaten 18 times," said Cantrell.
(03/30/2019) Views: 1,871 ⚡AMP
