2024-03-21 15:10:25
Surprise winner of the Barkley 2023, Aurélien Sanchez will not repeat his feat this year. The Frenchman had to leave the race this Thursday morning, during the night of this undoubtedly the craziest ultra-trail in the world, which takes place in the inhospitable, wooded and often foggy Frozen Head park in Tennessee. The native of Aude had just started his third loop (out of 5) after 21h50’45” of racing (20,000 m of positive altitude difference in total).
But, according to Keith Dunn, a friend of the creator Lazarus Lake who chronicles the progress of the race in his own way via tweets as informative as they are laconic, Sanchez was forced to give up. “I don’t know how I did last year (to win),” responded Sanchez.
Three French people still in the race
Three runners have finished the Barkley more than once: Brett Maune, in 2011 and 2012, who is also the only one to have finished the race in two consecutive years; Jared Campbell in 2012, 2014 and 2016; and John Kelly, in 2017 and 2023. Last year, Aurélien Sanchez finished it in 58h32’12”.
According to Keith Dunn, all French people are still in the race, Sébastien Raichon, Maxime Gauduin and Guillaume Calmettes. The latter, who is in his 5th participation (2018, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024), has become close to Sanchez. He had helped him last year in his quest for the Barkley, notably by showing him part of the route and giving him good and valuable advice.
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