B.C. man makes history as 1st Canadian to finish, win ‘insane’ Barkley Marathons

globalnews.ca:

Barkley Marathons, widely considered the world’s toughest foot race.Until this year, just 17 people had ever completed it. That changed last week when Ihor Verys of Chilliwack, B.C., became the 18th.He also crossed the finish line first, making him not just the first Canadian to complete the punishing test of endurance but also the first to win it.“I like to think of it like I am a scientist conducting experiments on my own body and my mind,” the 29-year-old Ukranian-Canadian told Global News in a Wednesday interview.“I always think about what our potential as a human being is, and every time I dip into that realm of impossible I feel very comfortable there and I love exploring there.”To call what Verys has accomplished in Frozen Head State Park impressive is an understatement.The gruelling endurance test requires competitors to complete a 160-kilometre (100 mile) run through the Tennessee woodlands in under 60 hours.Completing the race involves gaining more than 20,000 metres of elevation (66,000 feet) over the course of five 32-kilometre loops.A post shared by Singletrack (@runsingletrack)The route changes every year, and ultramarathoners must navigate using only a paper map.

They also must find books hidden at checkpoints, tearing out specific pages to prove they completed the entire course.The race organization is kept highly secret, and just 40 people are invited to compete every year.“You get a letter of condolences from the race director, you don’t just get an invitation. He’s basically saying ‘I feel sorry for you,'” Verys said.“Everything you imagined, you hear, is true.