Jasmin Paris Becomes First Woman to Finish Barkley Marathons
Scottish runner Jasmin Paris became the first woman to finish the multi-day Barkley Marathons in Tennessee’s Frozen Head State Park on Friday, March 22.
The Barkley Marathons is comprised of five loops of 20 miles, with participants having just 60 hours to complete all five. Before this year’s event, just 17 people had ever completed the ultramarathon.
Paris finished in 59:58:21, making the 60 hour cut-off point by just under two minutes, according to Runner’s World.
Paris told the BBC that she was “super happy” with her achievement, and that she hopes that it will inspire other women.
“I’m glad that I kind of did it for women worldwide as well – not just runners – but any woman that wants to take on a challenge and maybe doesn’t have the confidence,” she said.
This footage by Simone Luciani shows the moment Paris finished the ultramarathon.
The 2024 Barkley Marathons saw the highest number of finishers in the event’s history. Of the 38 runners that started the race, only five, including Paris, were able to complete it within the time limit, according to Marathon Handbook. Credit: Simone Luciani via Storyful
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