Jasmin Paris has successfully completed the infamous Barkley Marathons, and in doing so has become the first woman to successfully complete all five loops, finishing in a time of 59:58:21.

In this peculiar US event competitors, who might better be described as combatants due to the hardship involved, aim to complete five loops of 20(ish) miles within 60 hours. These distances are to be treated with a large pinch of salt, and are widely renowned to feel a lot longer and a lot harder courtesy of the mind-bendingly awful terrain; however, how much longer is an unknown due to the fact that GPS tracking isn't allowed and the only technology competitors have is a basic Casio wristwatch that's provided by the race organiser, the inimitable "Lazarus Lake".

When you add into the mix other quirks - such as the fact that you don't know when it's going to start, and that it can start at any time of day, and there isn't really enough time for you to sleep - then you've got yourself an even greater challenge, one that's engineered to be as awkward and awful as possible. If you haven't seen it, watch the film The Race That Eats Its Young for a flavour of what to expect - and expect the worst.

Jasmin first took part in the Barkley Marathons in 2022 and managed to complete the 'Fun Run' - a name reserved for the completion of three loops. She timed out on her fourth loop and in doing so became only the second woman to get this far, with Sue Johnston being the first way back in 2001. Jasmin returned the following year and in spite of a sub-optimal lead-up, which included both injury and ailments, managed to repeat her feat of the previous year, completing the 'Fun Run' once again before timing out on the the fourth loop. When she reached the gate which signifies the start/finish of each lap she was quizzed by the race organiser whether or not she believed she could do five laps; she replied she could. In Jasmin's own words in 2023 "I knew I'd be back" - and in 2024, she was…

Jasmin Paris @JasminKParis finished loop four in 46:29:12. #BM100

— Keith (@keithdunn) March 22, 2024

One of the other idiosyncrasies of the Barkley Marathons is the event coverage. With over major events such as the Dragon's Back and The Spine you have access to online trackers and regular race updates and reports. With the Barkley you have a guy name Keith who puts out a series of cryptic tweets.

A guy with awesome glasses has finished loop one in 9:16:14. #BM100

— Keith (@keithdunn) March 20, 2024