John Kelly has once again proven why he’s one of the toughest ultrarunners on the planet.
In the 2025 Barkley Marathons, arguably the most brutal ultramarathon in the world, Kelly managed to complete the Fun Run—a deceptively named 60-mile, three-loop challenge that has humbled some of the best athletes in the sport.
While it wasn’t a full five-loop finish this time, simply making it through three loops at the Barkley is an achievement most runners can only dream of.
A Race Designed to Break You
The Barkley Marathons is infamous for its nearly impossible difficulty.
Created in 1986 (at least, the 5-loop setup we know and love today) by Gary Cantrell, better known as Lazarus Lake, the race was inspired by James Earl Ray’s attempted prison escape through the same rugged Tennessee wilderness.
Ray barely made it eight miles in 55 hours. The Barkley? It’s 100+ miles with over 60,000 feet of elevation gain.
With an unmarked course, unpredictable weather, and a time limit that forces sleep deprivation, most runners don’t even complete a single loop before being tapped out.
Some years, no one finishes at all, and this year was one of those years.
2025 Barkley Marathons: One Of The Most Brutal To Date
Following the record-breaking success of 2024, this year’s Barkley Marathons has proven to be one of the most punishing editions in history.
The Barkley Marathons went unfinished in 2025.
As of 11:37 p.m. ET Wednesday, the 36-hour mark passed without any runners completing Loop 3, eliminating the chance for a full race finish.
With no runners managed to complete all five loops, the race has once again cemented its status as one of the toughest endurance challenges on the planet.
Fewer participants made it through Loop 1 than in any year since 2000, and the front-runners posted the slowest times ever recorded for the first two loops, highlighting just how brutal the course and conditions were this time around.
Three runners remained on course and still had the chance to complete a “Fun Run” if they return to camp by 3:37 a.m. ET Thursday.
Kelly’s Barkley Legacy
For Kelly, this race is personal.
He grew up near Frozen Head State Park and has a deep connection to the event.
In 2017, he became just the 15th person in history to finish all five loops. He repeated that feat in 2023 and 2024, further cementing himself as one of the all-time greats of the Barkley.
Coming into 2025, the pressure was on—especially after last year’s unprecedented five-finishers edition. But the race was brutal this time around, with even seasoned veterans struggling against the course.
Kelly pushed through to complete three loops within the Fun Run time cut, but the elusive five-loop finish wasn’t in the cards this year.
What This Means
In most races, finishing only 60 miles would be a disappointment for an elite ultrarunner like Kelly. But at the Barkley, it’s still a huge success.
His ability to navigate the course, survive the elements, and keep moving when most runners had already tapped out proves once again why he’s one of the sport’s toughest competitors.
The 2025 Barkley Marathons will go down as another reminder that this race doesn’t care about reputations—it chews up even the best.
