Tuesday, April 4, 2017

More trail Magic at the Barkley Marathons

Those that know me know of my deep respect for and fascination with Gary Cantrell's trail racing masterpiece, The Barkley Marathons, This years version did nothing but enhance my love affair with this race. The leaders pretty much from the get-go were local guy John Kelly and Canadian  ultra-runner Gary Robbins. Both men had made it into the fifth loop in 2016 (along with eventual finisher Jared Campbell) but could not complete the race. Kelly memorably took a nap (passing out basically) on the ground just up the trail after starting the final loop before continuing on but eventually being defeated by The Barkley. Robbins ended up hitching a ride back to camp to face the bugler.

Both were favorites, if there is such a thing in a race that has known only fourteen finishers, to defeat the trail in the 2017 version this past weekend. They stuck together for the most part through the first four loops until race rules forced them to go in opposite directions for the fifth and final loop, a good amount of which was going to be run in the dark and in rainy, foggy conditions. It was going to take a hell of an effort for either or both to finish.

Kelly did prevail with about 30 minutes to spare under the 60 hour cutoff, conquering the Barkley beast on his third attempt. The dude who used to hike with his family as a kid on the trails of Frozen Head had become just the fifteenth finisher of the famed Barkley marathons. An even better story was the non-finish of Robbins, however. The bearded Canadian's race ended in heartbreaking fashion when he touched the yellow gate six seconds too late and from the wrong direction. He had gotten his pages from all the books on the loop but then lost his bearings and took the wrong route back to the finish, disqualifying him even if he had made it back under 60 hours.

Watching the video of Robbins' finish and the immediate aftermath is something so simultaneously gut-wrenching and wonderful, it's difficult to process. Robbins is so clearly, utterly physically and emotionally wrecked you just want to reach into the computer somehow and hug the guy. Also, despite outwardly taking a gleeful satisfaction in watching runners fail miserably at his event, director Laz (Gary) is visibly moved by Robbins effort and his coming up just short of an official finish. The embrace the two share over the famed gate says everything without anyone having to say a thing.

Robbins' herculean effort at the 2017 Barkley is simply one of the most inspirational things I've ever heard of or seen. That guy laid everything on the line in a way that almost none of us ever will, for anything, ever. And to come that close to doing something that is bordering on impossible and have it ripped away because of one costly mistake, and then to handle it with so much class and dignity... well let's just say it's incredibly emotional to witness on video, I can't imagine what it was like for those that were there in person. In my opinion Gary Robbins did something amazingly heroic for 60 hours and 6 seconds and it doesn't matter that he is listed as a DNF on the results. He struck a chord with a lot of people on April Fools weekend 2017 and he's got a fan for life in me.

I am about a week and a half out from the 24 Hours of Palmer Lake Fun Run, and frankly I've been pretty burned out with the training lately. I haven't gotten the planned mileage in the last couple of weeks and mentally I haven't been too strong lately. I am still going for my planned 50 miles and hoping to get that in within twelve hours. And when things get rough on that Saturday and I want to quit, I am going to ask myself, "What would Gary Robbins do?"

And then I'll just keep going.

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