In a huge break with tradition, there was a Valentine’s Day surprise for Barkley Marathon fans as the infamous race began on it’s earliest ever date.
Mid to late March or occasionally early April is the usual timeslot for the event at Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee – this is the earliest by fully two weeks.
It is kept a secret to discourage spectators from attending due to the delicate nature of the park’s ecosystem and this year fewer clues than ever were available as the park’s campsites were closed for renovation so booking schedules weren’t any help.
6am start in Tennessee
But at 5am local time on Saturday 14 February Keith Dunn posted on X: “The conch was blown at 5:00am. The 2026 Barkley Marathons begins in one hour. #BM100.”
All 40 runners were issued with a basic watch set to 00:00 and were then sent on their way by Laz Lake, the race’s creator, symbolically lighting a cigarette.
Race director this year – like last year – is Carl Laniak, who has taken over from Lake in recent times.
We will be updating this page constantly from now until the race finishes so follow along with us as we first work out exactly who is taking part and then bring you loop-by-loop reports.
If you are new to the Barkley Marathons then you’re in for a treat – check out the links below to get you up to speed:
- Meet Laz Lake, the race’s enigmatic creator
- Our review of the first-ever authorised Laz Lake biography
- How the Barkley Marathons started – and what makes it so special
- The best Barkley Marathon documentaries to watch
Another break with tradition
There have only been 20 finishers in the history of the event and there were none in a brutal 2025 edition, following a record five in 2024.
The weather always plays a key part and it looks relatively favourable for the runners this year, with mild-ish temperatures and Sunday the only day with rain forecast.
The race, which is widely known as one of the toughest endurance challenges on the planet, features five 20-mile laps, which each have to be completed inside 12 hours.
For the first time this year Dunn revealed that the first two loops will be run in an anti-clockwise direction rather than alternating.
![Russ Cook completes his epic run across the entire length of Africa [Photo credit: The Snapshot People Ltd]](https://run247.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Russ-Cook-completes-length-of-Africa-run-2024-912x720.jpg)
