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Canadian ultra runner, Gary Robbins, has completed his first loop of the Barkley Marathons.
If you haven't heard of the Barkley Marathons, it's deemed one of the most rigorous and off-the-wall runs in the world.
🇨🇦 @gary_robbins finishes loop 1 of the #BarkleyMarathons #BM100 https://t.co/92NRepwy8h
— CanadianRunning (@CanadianRunning) April 1, 2017
Garry Robbins is a coach and race director who lives in North Vancouver and holds the record as the fastest person to round Mt. Rainier in Washington.
Social media blackout 4 next 7 days starts now Thx 4 all @BarkleyMarathon well wishes No matter what I should end up w great hallucinations
— Gary Robbins (@gary_robbins) March 28, 2017
Usually only one or two people finish the race and some years, nobody has finished.
After more than two decades of operating the race, out of 1,000 runners, only 14 have finished the race.
Robbins has attempted the race before but didn't make it on his fifth and final lap.
Now he's documenting his second attempt and hopes to be the 15th person to complete the race.
To complete the race, the runner has to complete a certain amount of loops in a specific time before getting disqualified.
Each time a runner finishes a loop, they return into the woods of Tennessee and run the loop backwards, continuing to alternate directions for every loop.
Netflix features a documentary about the infamous Barkley Marathon and if you're a runner, it's worth the watch.
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