Some will suggest that by their very nature, there is something seriously wrong with those devoted folks who push their bodies to the brink by undertaking various distances of ultra-marathons.

Of course, those in this camp will contend that with proper training and a keen awareness of one’s own body, ultras are actually quite manageable.

But even those folks are apt to note that it’s a whole other level of obsession when one decides to tackle the legend that is the Barkley Marathon.

For as much as a story on THE actual Barkley Marathon, the one that is staged in Frozen State Head Park in Tennessee, the one that was launched in 1986 by the race icon that is Gary “Lazarus Lake” Cantrell, the one that requires a really solid understanding of the peculiarities of the rules and logistics on race day would constitute an incredible story in and of itself, this column is actually being devoted to its Sudbury offspring.

The Sudbury Barkley, as it was dubbed by the “maniacs” (as the organizers were affectionately referred to by Fun Run finisher and DNF runner Lisa Zych), was introduced for the very first time last Sunday, contested largely among the gazillion or so trails that criss-cross the Lake Laurentian Conservation Area and adjacent lands.

While only 40 entries are accepted every year for the authentic event in Tennessee, the local group that was headed by André Dumais, Helen Francis, David Crockett and Vince Perdue sent out invitations to 45 or so locals, with 16 registering, ten starting the race and only three completing the full three laps that covered roughly 90 kilometres.

“The Barkley is almost a cult-like race, very clandestine and under the radar,” explained Dumais as the 15 hour maximum allotted time to completion was beginning to draw near. “It’s known as the most difficult ultra marathon on the planet, the race that eats its young.”

The challenges run well beyond the sheer distance that is being covered.

Staying true to several of the unique aspects of the American race namesake, the Sudbury Barkley would see participants present themselves to the trail start just off the Bio-Ski parking lot at 4:00 a.m. last Sunday. It was only then that the actual course that was to be completed was shared with the athletes – well, sort of.

“We didn’t get a trail map, per se,” explained Zych, a native Torontonian who moved north with a northern-rooted spouse and subsequently wandered across a good number of the more fervent fitness buffs in the region to finally make her way to taking a crack at the Sudbury race.

(falling short of completing the laps in the requisite time, Zych and Stacy Halohan covered some 63.5km in earning their stripes as “Fun Run” finishers – with Jeffrey Paul also in that grouping)

“We got a blank map and had to mark where the books were.”

Ah yes, the infamous books.

In essence, the race completion is based on making your way through trails and lands that are groomed, or perhaps not, searching for a series of books (the Sudbury Barkley had 18 scattered to and fro). Upon reaching the books, participants are to rip out the page that corresponds with their bib number, providing proof of having reached that check point.

“It’s kind of like a weird scavenger hunt,” said Zych with a laugh. “We did a lot of bushwhacking to try and find shortcuts – which I think was pretty successful.”

Like the original Barkley, there is no standard outlined course for this race. It changes from year to year, with participants allowed to create their own pathway, in a sense.

“Runners make their own choice on how they are going to run the course,” noted Dumais. “Of the six lead runners (a group that completed the first loop of 30km in about 4hrs and 25 minutes – or with slightly more than 30 minutes to spare), five know these trails inside and out – and they still lost 25 minutes looking for a book.”

“Between book nine and book then, there are probably 30 different ways to get there. It’s so easy to get turned around and get lost.”

Understandably, participants are stripped of their phones and their watches – basically anything that can provide navigational assistance beyond the maps they received at the start.

For the record, Shelley Walushka, Michael Rouleau and Jake Geale comprised the triumphant trio who successfully defeated the Sudbury challenge this year. Of the 40 participants who were sent “letter of condolences” signalling their accepted entry to the Tennessee race, five made it to the very end in 2024, including Jasmin Paris from Britain, the first woman ever to conquer the Barkley.

A relatively casual runner through high-school and college, Zych ran her first ultra roughly three years ago when she completed an Apex 50km run. And while one might think the natural progression for these folks would be to move from a 10km, on to a half-marathon (21kms), then taking a shot at the full marathon (42kms) before jumping into an ultra, such seems to seldom be the case.

“I don’t really do a lot of racing,” said Zych. “But I would do a 20 km run for fun. Last summer, I committed to doing at least a 20km run every weekend – and then kept that up after the season ended. I love trail running, but I also love that I can get more kilometres in more quickly on the road.”

As for her inaugural Sudbury Barkley, Zych provided clear evidence of the double-edged sword that draws those of her ilk to challenges like this.

“This was really hard,” she stressed. “I am really glad to be done.”

And still it took her only an hour or so to send in her registration, from the time she was asked – and she is every bit as likely to be just as prompt again in 2025.

Ultra marathoners are a different breed, to be sure.