The ‘Do Not Block Gate’ sign that is synonymous with the Barkley Marathons could be put up for auction.
Every loop of the notorious 100-mile race starts and finishes at the fabled yellow gate at Frozen Head State Park in rural Eastern Tennessee.
And the sign on that gate has been photographed on countless occasions to convey the mystique and magic of what lies behind it.
The race is still shrouded in secrecy despite it making global headlines in 2024 when Jasmin Paris made it back to the gate with 99 seconds to spare of the allotted 60 hours as she became the first woman to ever finish – and the 20th person in total.
A piece of history
The course – or race directors Laz Lake and Carl Laniak – bit back with a vengeance this year as just four runners made it past lap two and none got further than loop three, with only three-time finisher John Kelly credited with a ‘Fun Run’.
That’s for completing three laps inside 40 hours and just before he made it back, Keith Dunn – who is the sole official source of information inside the race – revealed that the ‘Do Not Block Gate’ sign has been replaced.
He posted on X and Bluesky: “All of you recognize this sign, which is from the iconic Yellow Gate. This is the sign that was in the documentary; the sign Jasmin Paris collapsed next to when she finished the Barkley; the sign countless Barkers have passed as they ran the race.
“This iconic sign has been replaced and we now have the opportunity to find this piece of Barkley history a home.
“The idea is to auction it, with the proceeds going to the Barkley Fund, which finances the race. The question now: would this be of interest? More details to follow.”
Museum option?
The sign has been replaced by a similar one, with the same wording.
The early replies to Keith’s posts suggested people would definitely be interested, though some suggested giving it to either John Kelly or Jared Campbell who, with three and four finishes respectively, are the event’s most successful participants.
And plenty also seem to feel that as such an intrinsic part of the Barkley, it belongs in a museum.
Watch this space as to what happens next.
