2025 Barkley Marathons kicks off at Frozen Head State Park
WARTBURG, Tenn. (WATE) — The 2025 Barkley Marathons kicked off Tuesday at the Frozen Head State Park.
It is a backwoods ultra-marathon steeped in quirky traditions, and is one of the most grueling in the country. After the conch was blown and the cigarette was lit, 6 News sat down with founder Gary Cantrell, or 'Lazarus Lake' as he is known in the community, to learn what is special about this year's race.
Ex-Knox County narcotics chief accused of using unit as 'personal piggy bank' to stand trial
'This is the testing ground to really see, 'Can you make the cut?'' said Cantrell.
While each year has a slightly different route, Cantrell says one thing stays the same. The Barkley Marathon is made up of 100 miles of running and climbing through the Smoky Mountains with only 60 hours to run five 20-mile loops.
'The race has a pretty rugged reputation,' he said. 'In 40 years, there's been 20 finishers.'
He said last year produced five of those finishers, mostly due to the nice weather which is expected again this year. But despite the dauting course, people from across the globe come to compete.
'We get applications from all over the world, and I don't know over the years how many countries have actually been here,' said Cantrell. 'We split the field, we can take 40 so we take 20 from North America, which is the US, Canada, Mexico, and 20 from overseas, which is anywhere else.'
Among those who have tried the race themselves is Carl Laniak, the new marathon director.
'When something is at the edge of human potential, and even if you can only make it 20% of the way, if you got everything out of yourself and really felt like you dug deeper than you had before, you know you're getting most of the same feeling that those world class athletes at the front are also getting,' said Laniak.
Sevierville Police: Two charged after nearly $1 million stolen from Target
Despite not crossing the finish line, he said being part of the race does bring people together.
'Humans are all the same,' he said, 'like there's people like us everywhere whatever you're into, there's somebody in Asia who's into it too.'
At the entrance to the race a display of flags and license plates show the number of countries and states represented throughout the years. A tradition Cantrell said is symbolic of the athletes who have shaped the Barkey Marathon into what it is today.
'All the license plates, those all represent a person who left a piece of themself out here on these trails,' said Cantrell.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Fraudster who carried around ‘bedazzled' gun sentenced to hard time over identity theft ring conviction
Some criminals live a life of crime — this one led several lives, 26 of them at least, according to federal prosecutors. Jessica Bailey Sowell, 32, of Charlotte, was part of an identity theft ring that used stolen credit cards and fake driver's licenses to wrack up nearly a half-million dollars in debt, according to Russ Ferguson, US Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. While executing a search warrant in a hotel room where Sowell was staying, federal agents recovered a lavishly decorated weapon: 'a Taurus G3 9mm handgun, bedazzled with sequins on the barrel,' prosecutors added. Advertisement 3 Investigators recovered a 'bedazzeld' gun from the hotel room from where a member of an identity theft ring was staying. United States Attorney Sowell ran up other people's tabs buying anything from everyday items at Target and Walmart to high-end clothing and luxury cars during a year-long crime spree across the south, according to officials and reports. 'Sowell created fraudulent identification documents with the stolen personal identifying information, which she used at banks, hotels, and retail stores to obtain money and merchandise, and to rent hotel rooms and cars,' federal prosecutors said. Advertisement 'Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement found letters, bank cards, and checks in Sowell's possession that belonged to at least 26 victims of identity theft,' Ferguson said in a statement. On Monday, she learned her fate. 'Sowell was sentenced to 57 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unlawful possession of a firearm,' according to prosecutors. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $47,190.25. Advertisement 3 Jessica Bailey Sowell, 32, of Charlotte, was part of an identity theft ring that used stolen credit cards and fake driver's licenses to make purchases. United States Attorney Investigators seized a suitcase containing hundreds of pieces of mail with various names and addresses, and a second suitcase was packed with store tagged merchandise. Authorities also found two handwritten journals with the names and credit information of multiple victims; and 23 driver's licenses from different states with Sowell's photograph, according to prosecutors. During a search of a rental vehicle Sowell was using, investigators found a credit card in the name of an ID theft victim, receipts for merchandise purchased with the victim's credit card, an identity card printer and multiple blank identity cards as well as holographic stickers, prosecutors said. Advertisement At one point during the investigation Sowell's accomplice made a daring escape leaping from a second story hotel window as police were closing in on him, according to The Charlotte Observer. 3 The Feds found fake drivers licenses, ID printing machines and holographic stickers as part of an investigation into an identity theft ring in North Carolina Christopher Sadowski Sowell's crime spree started in October 2018, prosecutors said, when she and her three accomplices used people's mail and real estate listings to steal their identities. 'The defendants used the stolen identities of real persons… to create identification cards in the victims' names, but with the defendants' photographs,' the indictment states. 'Prosecutors said they opened credit cards at places such as Lowe's, Walmart, Belk, Kohl's and Target, and purchased vehicles from multiple CarMax dealerships in the Carolinas, Tennessee and Georgia.'
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Democrat lawmaker busted for shoplifting at Target self-checkout line, then uses ailing granny as an excuse
A Democratic state representative from Connecticut busted for shoplifting after failing to scan items at a Target self-checkout offered a litany of excuses, including that he was 'in a rush to bring items to my grandmother in the hospital.' State Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan was arrested Monday night at a Target store in Bethel, about 60 miles southwest of Hartford, after authorities reviewed security footage allegedly showing he neglected to scan two of his items, totaling $26.69 in value. State Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan, a four-term lawmaker from Connecticut, was arrested Monday for allegedly failing to scan two items at a Target store in Bethel. Raghib Allie-Brennan / Facebook He was detained by loss prevention personnel, who later told cops they recognized the four-term lawmaker from 'previous unreported larcenies,' CT Mirror reported, citing a Bethel Police arrest summary. Advertisement Allie-Brennan, 33, who was first elected in 2018, acknowledged the incident on his Facebook page Tuesday in an excuse-laden post. The rep. later took to Facebook and offered a laundry list of excuses, including blaming the store for running out of bags. MelissaMN – 'During a recent visit to the Bethel Target, two items in my armload of others were not scanned. I was in a rush to bring items to my grandmother in the hospital, the store didn't have bags, and I was juggling multiple purchases,' he wrote. Advertisement 'While I do not have a record, I take full responsibility for the error and am working through the legal processes to resolve the matter quickly and respectfully.' He added, 'I respect the law and Target's right to enforce their loss prevention policy, and I remain committed to serving my community with transparency and integrity.' In a statement, Connecticut House Speaker Matt Ritter addressed the kerfuffle involving his fellow Dem. Advertisement 'He recognizes the high standard to which I hold our members and is taking responsibility for inadvertently leaving the Target self-checkout without scanning several items.' Allie-Brennan did not respond to an email from The Post seeking comment.
Business Wire
4 days ago
- Business Wire
The 2026 Special Olympics USA Games Welcomes Target as Platinum Partner and Official Tennis Sponsor
MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The 2026 Special Olympics USA Games is welcoming Target as a Platinum Partner and the official Tennis sponsor. The partnership represents a significant investment in one of the country's largest celebrations of ability, unity and achievement – set to bring more than 3,000 athletes, thousands of coaches and volunteers and tens of thousands of fans to the Twin Cities, June 20–26, 2026. Target joins U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, Worldwide Technology and others as official partners of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games. Share As the official Tennis sponsor, Target's support will help bring together more than 80 Special Olympics athletes and Unified partners as they compete in singles, doubles and Unified doubles matches at the Baseline Tennis Center on the University of Minnesota campus. 'Target is proud to become a Platinum Partner of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games,' said Kiera Fernandez, Executive Vice President and Chief Community and Stakeholder Engagement Officer, Target Corporation. 'Our team members across the country are inspired by the determination and spirit of these athletes, and we look forward to engaging in volunteerism and celebrating their incredible achievements – right here in our hometown. This partnership gives us an opportunity to support inclusivity for all and a movement that uplifts so many.' Target has a longstanding commitment to strengthening and serving the more than 2,000 communities where it operates. It joins U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, Worldwide Technology and others as official partners of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games. "It's hard to imagine hosting the 2026 USA Games without Target by our side," said Christy Sovereign, CEO of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games." As a company with deep Minnesota roots and a long tradition of community leadership, Target's partnership is incredibly meaningful to us, and their commitment to supporting our mission sends a powerful message of support to every athlete, family and fan. We can't wait to create lasting change together." The 2026 Special Olympics USA Games will be one of the largest sporting events in the U.S. that year, bringing together thousands of athletes of all abilities, coaches, volunteers and fans from all 50 states. To learn more about the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, please visit About Target Corporation Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) serves guests at nearly 2,000 stores and at with the purpose of helping all families discover the joy of everyday life. Since 1946, Target has given 5% of its profit to communities, which today equals millions of dollars a week. Additional company information can be found by visiting the corporate website and press center. About Special Olympics USA Games The 2026 Special Olympics USA Games – scheduled for June 20-26, 2026, across Minnesota's Twin Cities with sports competitions at the University of Minnesota and the National Sports Center in Blaine – is a national celebration of inclusivity, changing perceptions and the ability of the human spirit rising above limitations. The USA Games, with co-presenting partners Jersey Mike's Subs and UnitedHealthcare, will be one of the biggest U.S. sporting events of the year, drawing tens of thousands of fans to celebrate the ability of over 3,000 incredible athletes from all 50 states as they compete in 16 Olympic-type team and individual sports. As a state with a long history of championing inclusion, the USA Games now brings an unrivaled opportunity to Minnesota and beyond to spark new energy around the Special Olympics movement and create a lasting legacy of positive change.
