In the Spell of the Barkley: Unravelling the Mystery of the World's Toughest Ultramarathon

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars | 81 ratings

Price: 13.36

Last update: 08-18-2024


About this item

'A wonderful, compelling read'
Vassos Alexander, radio presenter and ultrarunner

Welcome to the Barkley Marathons, a fever dream of an ultra event, inspired by a prison break, heralded by a conch blast, paid for in cigarettes and socks, and completed only by a select few. A race in which competitors haul themselves up mountains, through extreme weather conditions, beyond pain and exhaustion, mile after mile. Completed 60 miles? That’s just the fun run.

Journalist and ultrarunner Michiel Panhuysen is a multiple-time Barkley entrant, having fallen under the spell of this most enigmatic of races – and its presiding philosopher-genius organizer Lazarus Lake – in the early 2010s. On each occasion, the Barkley won. The Barkley nearly always wins.

In the Spell of the Barkley is a story of sporting obsession, exploring what drives individuals to challenge themselves at the limits of what is possible – and what it takes to succeed.

Top reviews from the United States

Jaime
5.0 out of 5 stars Insider's look at the extreme end of the ultra world
Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2023
Great look at the Barkley event, its competitors and what it takes to be part of that world. Michiel is an engaging tour guide through it all.
Beeky
4.0 out of 5 stars An honest look at the ultra
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2024
After watching numerous YouTube videos about the infamous Barkley Marathons, it was nice to get a first hand account of the race from a serial attempter.
Wonder
3.0 out of 5 stars “There is no point” Barkley motto 2006
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2024
Parts about the Barkley are interesting, the rest is blah!
There is one good point, when Laz (the father of the Barkley) organized virtual walk during pandemic, that was genius, and did helped many people to keep their sanity.
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2023
Love it, good read
utalley
4.0 out of 5 stars Barkley behind the scenes look
Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2024
I live about 45 minutes from where the Barkley is held at Frozen Head (almost) every year so I knew of the race and how extreme it was and what the location and its terrain encompasses but never knew much more than that. Michiel Panhuysen did a great job of letting readers get a behind the scenes, or behind the Yellow Gate if you will, look at just how extreme the Barkley is and what it takes to compete in it. I also enjoyed reading about some of the other ultra events the author described running in across the world in preparation for Barkley that I had never heard of before, along with stories and insight from other Barkley competitors about their Barkley races that he became friends with over the years. I am definitely not a runner, ultra or otherwise, and really enjoyed this book.
TheBestDogMom
4.0 out of 5 stars Be careful, it might give you Barkley Fever.
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2024
As an ultramarathoner I’m always interested in reading books like this. The author covered a lot of info about other ultra races but it was mostly about Barkley. I enjoyed his personal stories of the races. The tidbits about Laz were the best.

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