Runners flock to Petros for the Barkley, world's toughest ultramarathon

Matt Lakin
Knoxville
** ADVANCE FOR WEEKEND EDITIONS, APRIL 8-9 ** Nick Gracie, in black shirt at lower left, looks at a map with Brian Robinson, with yellow hat, as they traverse the course for the Barkley Marathon on Saturday, April 1, 2006 in Wartburg,Tenn. Todd Holmes, far right, and Jim Nelson, back left, follow.  The Barkley is considered one of the toughest ultramarathons in the world.(AP Photo/Wade Payne) ORG XMIT: TNWP606 [Via MerlinFTP Drop]

It's the Thunderdome of running - maybe tougher.

Even the gladiatorial battles of the "Mad Max" movies had a winner. No such guarantee on this 60-hour, 100-mile ultramarathon through the woods, creeks and cliffs of the Cumberland Mountains in the shadow of what was once Tennessee's most infamous prison.

"It's the equivalent of climbing up and down Mount Everest twice," said Gary Cantrell, director of the Barkley Marathons. "Not everybody makes it."

Just 15 runners have finished the annual race. Starting Saturday, 40 of the top runners from around the world will compete to be the 16th.

In the steps of the fugitives

The race loosely follows the path taken by James Earl Ray, convicted assassin of civil-rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., and five other convicts when they escaped from Brushy Mountain State Prison in Petros, Tenn., in June 1977. All were recaptured after a manhunt that lasted roughly three days.

This wanted poster for James Earl Ray was released by the FBI in Washington on June 11, 1977, after his escape from Brushy Mountain State Prison in Tennessee. Ray, who was serving 99 years for the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was added to the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" list.

Unlike Ray and his cohorts, the Barkley's runners won't have helicopters circling overhead or bloodhounds nipping at their heels - just hunger, sleep deprivation and the ticking clock as they struggle to complete five laps of a 20-mile loop.

Cantrell said he got the idea for the race while hiking in the area in the mid-1980s. He figured he and friends could top the distance covered by the fugitives in about the same stretch of time.

Now in its 32nd year - or 33rd, Cantrell said he's never bothered to keep track - the once underground event has become an international sensation, drawing interest from TV producers, photographers and filmmakers. This year's entrants include 18 from overseas, including two from Japan and five from France.

"I attribute it to the French love for hopeless causes," Cantrell said.

Inside the closed Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary now owned by The Brushy Mountain Development Group Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. Brushy Mountain Group plans to redevelop the old penitentiary facility into America's a unique tourist destination including an RV Park, Festivals, Bed & Breakfast, Restaurant, Brewery and Distillery.

Waiting for go

Runners camp at Frozen Head State Park to wait for the go signal, but don't show up expecting to watch. The Barkley's for runners, not spectators, and the trails along the route offer no vantage points for sightseers.

Cantrell keeps the exact route a secret from all but participants. Runners don't even know the start time - not until they hear Cantrell blow on a conch shell to signal the start.

The prize for whoever finishes? First, a seat.

"As soon as they reach the gate, you stick a chair behind them, because they're done," Cantrell said. "It's like cutting the strings on a marionette."

A fall version covers a little less ground and raises money for charity. Cantrell says the event's been self-supporting from the start, with a waiting list that grows longer each year.

"Humans just have an innate need to be challenged and to do things so hard the outcome is not certain," Cantrell said. "These are people who have succeeded at everything. They're here for something they will probably fail in attempting but that holds out the possibility of success. Everybody wants to see if they're part of the 1 percent."