In a feat that will be etched in the annals of endurance racing, Jasmin Paris has shattered a 40-year-old gender barrier by becoming the first woman to conquer the Barkley Marathons, a race notorious for chewing up and spitting out its participants. The Barkley Marathons, a brainchild of Gary Cantrell, is not just a race; it’s an odyssey through Tennessee’s treacherous Frozen Head State Park, where the unmarked and unforgiving terrain becomes a proving ground for the world’s most resilient ultrarunners.
Jasmin Paris, a 40-year-old veterinarian from Midlothian, Scotland, crossed the finish line with a mere 99 seconds left on the clock, her time standing at 59 hours, 58 minutes, and 21 seconds. This incredible achievement places her among the elite few who have ever completed the race since its inception. Out of 40 entrants this year, she was one of only five to reach the end, proving her mettle against a course that boasts a 99% dropout rate.
The Barkley Marathons is not for the faint-hearted. It’s a grueling 100-mile journey with a staggering 60,000 feet of climb and descent, akin to scaling Mount Everest twice. Runners must navigate through dense forests and steep slopes, all while battling fatigue and the elements. The race’s cryptic entry process and unique rules, such as ripping pages from books at unmanned checkpoints, add to its mystique and challenge.
Paris’s triumph is not just a personal victory but a monumental moment for women in ultramarathoning. Her success comes on the heels of her 2019 victory at the Spine Race, where she became the first woman to win the 268-mile race, setting a new record by slashing 12 hours off the previous best time. Her Barkley finish is a testament to her extraordinary endurance and skill, further solidified by her previous attempts at the race, where she made history by starting the fourth loop in 2023 and completing the first three loops twice.
The race’s founder, Gary Cantrell, once expressed skepticism that a woman could finish the Barkley based on average finishing times in other ultramarathons. Paris’s finish is a resounding rebuttal to that doubt, showcasing that endurance and determination know no gender. Her accomplishment is a beacon of inspiration, proving that barriers are meant to be broken and that the impossible can become possible.
As Paris collapsed at the iconic yellow gate marking the start and finish of the Barkley, her body exhausted and her legs marred by the harshness of the course, she embodied the spirit of every runner who dares to dream big. Her sprint to the finish, cheered on by a global audience via social media, was not just a race against time but a race into history.
Paris’s victory is more than just a win at one of the world’s toughest races. It’s a celebration of human spirit and perseverance. It’s a story of how a mother of two, a veterinarian, and an ultrarunner from Scotland rewrote the narrative of what’s achievable. As Paris thanked her supporters on X, her words resonated with gratitude and humility, but also with the power of a challenge overcome.
Let Jasmin Paris’s historic finish at the Barkley Marathons serve as a reminder that limits are often self-imposed, and with enough grit and passion, even the most daunting of challenges can be conquered. Her name will now be spoken with reverence whenever the tales of the Barkley Marathons are told, and rightly so, for she has not only completed the race but has also redefined what it means to be a champion.
