Ground Zero - A Barkley Bonus Episode Podcast Episode · Hiker Trash Radio · S9 Bonus · 50m

@taka-does-stuff.bsky.social more Barkley spreadsheet additions for 2025. At 42:00 there is an interview with runner Ken Zemach. Probably the “Kenny?” on the spreadsheet. Also at 37:30 Lees Makhlouf (spelling?) is a French speaking runner returning to camp. #bm100
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There is a new section on Stallion that isn’t Lenard’s butt slide. Heard a report that the new boom 9 was at the bottom of a mountain and a runner that couldn’t find book the book said that “we even went over to butt slide to look for it”

@taka-does-stuff.bsky.social Ben Kerezman from Indiana can be added to the Barkley spreadsheet for this year. #bm100

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just noticed this and came to mention it. good find

Yup figured that out. Even have it drawn out on a map. Ball bearing hill is either the new 1800ft descent or the 1350ft climb right after it. Thanks for the info on the books. That math checks out too. If it’s on stallion I’m guessing butt slide is back. If it is John Kelly will definitely tell us.

16. The most ever. Hence Keith saying “the most marked course ever”

Anything more to this you can share? A source/report? Can confirm there was a new section added around England mtn. Keith makes it sound like part of it is ball bearing hill. two big climbs were added so that would be the 1st. The 2nd is probably around stallion. My guess was Lenard’s was re-added.

A little look at the beast of a course from Barkley 2025. The new sections: ball bearing hill, is by Barkley standards not too bad at 1350ft climbed in 1 mile. Maybe more crazy is the new 1st descent that drops 1500ft in 0.8miles.
Also I was wrong, the 1st climb hasn't changed
#BM100

YouTube video by Singletrack The Barkley Strikes Back: 2025's Brutal Return to Form

Already a proper edited video on this year's Barkley! www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezjz... #BM100

Were there any slow stragglers at the back of the start? I remember seeing I think it was Lenard Martin walking out with a handheld flashlight the last year or two.

Did they decide to make reading the master map a new challenge this year? That is a neat wood carving? or 3D print? Either way that looks like a cool piece.

Here are the comments from Ed. At least I think so, I didn't see any others but could have missed them. I don't think this confirms he raced, just that he was there.

From Sébastien’s report:

There were 16 books this year, the most ever.

Ratjaw is still only climbed in CCW loops.

2 big climbs were added, one is ball bearing hill, the other is probably a previously removed one brought back.
#bm100

Thank you. Had heard about the 16 books this year. Probably why Keith joking called it the most marked course. Figured a new monster climb was added. 2 is a little surprising but helpful info

Where could I find her report? Is it still up?

That’s cool information. I do remember hearing before that was a common practice but didn’t know just how much was accessible, and kinda figured it stopped years before 2012. I had always figured the numbers I used for reference were short but now I know it was much more so than I expected. Thanks!

That sounds like how I think it was 2019 where a bunch of runners said the new course was slightly shorter but felt a lot harder. We then didn’t see any finishers on it for a few years, things were tweaked slightly and then we saw 8 in 2 years. It might take time but the finishers will come again.

John Kelly with some course info for #bm100

I just used those numbers as a reference across years because next to actually being out there it’s the best sense you get from year to year.
But I trust your judgment far more. Thanks for giving your experience, always great to hear from someone who’s done its

I’m sure you’re correct. The numbers I used were from taking a copy of last year’s course map I stumbled across and transposing it into caltopo. I’m sure those numbers could be underestimated and it assumes the course is followed perfectly which is never the case.….

Can you ID any of those runners and if any of them didn’t start loop 2? The past couple years ratjaw wasn’t climbed in CW loops. Seems that it was added back this year.

This is interesting stuff. If the course is actually 15% longer and more elevation, using 2024’s numbers that would put the 2025 course at roughly 26.5 miles and 14,700ft a loop. By far the toughest course on paper ever #BM100

Also definitely felt much more silence from camp than usual.

this year was brutal -- looks like the fewest total loops completed (and average loops per runner) since 1995 #bm100

final tracker (more or less -- still don't know who was the tenth runner to complete the first loop) -- congrats on a fun time in Frozen Head, John Kelly! #bm100

He got back to camp around 6am

And both with very late (after 11:00) start times.

Only 2006 (new course in mud) and 2021 (US only field, post covid) saw worse results than this year's #BM100. The couple of course changes mustve been brutal. Can’t wait to find them 👀

thanks to @taka-does-stuff.bsky.social for the spreadsheet and to everyone that’s followed along and shared info

3rd Fewest loop2 finishes (4)

2nd Slowest 2 loop time for leader (24:32)

Only the 3rd time since 2000 no runner started loop 4 (2006, 2021 were other years)

John Kelly, the only 3 loop finisher now has the slowest, fastest fun run time, 10 minutes before cutoff(39:50). #BM100
(2/3)

The last two #BM100 have been ones for the history books, one for sucess and one for failure.
2025 saw:

fewest fun runs finished since 2006 (1)

2nd slowest loop1 for the leader (9:44)

fewest loop1 finishes EVER (10)

…(1/3)

a close up of a person 's hand holding a watch on their arm . ALT: a close up of a person 's hand holding a watch on their arm .

Glad to be part of the journey, it was a shorter but albeit fun year for the Barkley.
Now comes the waiting game for reports to trickle out, then I go to work figuring out what the course looked like in 2025