“I’ll be back,” vows first person to be eliminated after HORROR episode at brutal Barkley Marathons

He’d tried for three years to get a place in the infamous Barkley Marathons but when it finally happened this year for brilliant 2024 Dragon’s Back winner Max King, it’s fair to say things didn’t quite go as he’d hoped.

The American star looked to have the perfect skillset for the Barkley – as he’d hinted himself in February when when he spoke to UK podcast Trail and Error.

He said then: “It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time but it took me three years to get in. I think it does sort of fall into my wheelhouse a little bit – the hard hiking but also the navigation aspect too. I’m excited.”

‘My meniscus just went!’

But after all the training and anticipation, King’s Barkley Marathons experience unfortunately became the latest horror story in the ‘Race That Eats Its Young’.

Writing on his Facebook page, he revealed: “Well….my first Barkley experience was not what I imagined.

“The ready and fit legs didn’t even get their chance to be tested. Jumping over a small log about 2hrs into the race a “rock” jumped up and bit me on the knee. It hurt. Where did that rock come from?

“…ohh, $#|+ that wasn’t a rock, that pop was my…OMG that hurts! Oh crap, my meniscus just went! No, no, no, no! This cannot happen here!

“Ok, I got this. Just have the next guy pull your leg to pop it back in. Didn’t work.

“Ok, I’ll put it between a tree and my trekking pole and I’ll yank it back into place. Didn’t work.

“Ok, ice it in the creek and the swelling will go down and then pop it back in. Didn’t work.

“Fine, my race is over! But…I can still go uphill, it’s a nice day and I want more time in the woods, so I’m going to get at least one more book. Then I’ll hobble back to camp.

“6hrs on course and first to be tapped out.”

‘Unfinished business’

But King has taken the serious setback on the chin and he added: “This scenario was never on my radar but yet here I was. That, as you can imagine, is a huge disapppointment that leaves me with a lot of unfinished business. I’ll be back.”

Asked if he gets an automatic place next year, he replied: “Not automatic but I think they [race creator / director Laz Lake and Carl Laniak] felt sorry for me.”

Good luck to him in his recovery and we look forward to seeing him race again soon – and hopefully make a Barkley Marathons return in the not too distant future.