Hallucinations and no sleep: Jasmin Paris on her historic ultramarathon
In an exclusive interview, the first woman to complete the Barkley Marathons explains how she beat the 100-mile course
“I was so close to passing out,” says Jasmin Paris, as she relives the moment she became the first woman to complete the race widely seen as the most devilish, daunting, and toughest of them all. “I felt I was going to reach the finishing gate, or collapse right in front of it. There was a tunnel of roars on either side. But I couldn’t focus. It was all a bit blurry.”
Since 1989, more than 1,000 ultramarathoners have attempted the Barkley Marathons in Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee. But only 20 have ever finished the 100-mile course, which includes about 16,500 metres of elevation – the equivalent of climbing Everest twice – within the 60-hour time limit.