“Every year on the closest Saturday to April Fools’ Day, about 40 hand-picked runners line up behind the yellow metal gate that marks the entrance to northern Tennessee’s Frozen Head State Park. Cantrell stands on the other side of the gate with a fresh Camel in hand. With a quiet flick, he lights the cigarette and lets out a stream of smoke: the signal that the race has begun. Over the next 60 hours, runners will attempt to complete five laps on a 20-mile course through the mountainous, forested park. More than 98 percent will fail.” Outside: Meet Lazarus Lake, the Man Behind the Barkley Marathons.

+ I do not recommend running this race. However, I highly recommend watching the documentary about it. The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young.