• Barkley Marathons & IronHike Olympus Mons UItra

  • For the Fearless Few: The Two Most Badass Ultras with the Most "Vert" in the World

    Both the Barkley Marathons and the IronHike Olympus Mons Ultra are extreme endurance events that push participants to their limits. The Barkley Marathons is a competitive race with a notorious reputation for its harsh conditions and minimal support, inspired by a prison escape. It covers approximately 120 miles with 63,000 feet of elevation gain and must be completed within 60 hours.

     

    The IronHike Olympus Mons Ultra, on the other hand, is an endurance event designed for maximum elevation gain, spanning 152 miles with 72,590 feet of elevation gain over 84 hours. Named after the highest summit in the solar system on Mars, it’s the most extreme elevation profile of any ultra-event. Participants must complete laps up and down the mountain.

     

    Both events attract the most determined and resilient trail and mountain athletes and each offers a unique set of challenges and experiences.

  • Barkley Marathons & IronHike Olympus Mons Ultra

  • Barkley Marathons

    • Location: Frozen Head State Park, Tennessee, USA
    • Distance: Approximately 120 miles (192 km)
    • Elevation Gain: Approximately 63,000 feet (19,200 meters)
    • Duration: 60 hours to complete
    • Unique Features: Known as "The Race That Eats Its Young," it has a secretive application process, unmarked course, and extreme difficulty. Only 20 people have completed it since 1986.
    • History: Founded by Gary "Lazarus Lake" Cantrell and Karl "Raw Dog" Henn in 1986. The race was inspired by the 1977 escape of James Earl Ray, who only managed to cover 8 miles in 54 hours after escaping from a nearby prison. Gary "Lazarus Lake" Cantrell thought he could cover at least 100 miles in that time.
    • Race Aspect: The Barkley Marathons is a competitive race with a strict time limit and a requirement to collect pages from books hidden along the course.
    • Support: There are no aid stations along the course. Participants have access to water at two points, but they must rely on self-sufficiency for food and gear.
    • Historical Finishers: Notable finishers include "Frozen" Ed Furtaw, Mark Williams, John Kelly, Jared Campbell, and Jasmin Paris. Since 1986, only 26 finishes by 20 runners.

    IronHike Olympus Mons

    • Location: Mohawk Mountain, Connecticut, USA
    • Distance: 152 miles (244 km)
    • Elevation Gain: 72,590 feet (22,110 meters)
    • Duration: 84 hours
    • Unique Features: Inspired by the highest summit in the solar system on Mars, it has the most extreme elevation profile of any ultra-event. Participants must complete laps up and down the mountain. This ultra has the most vertical gain and loss, for an event under 200 miles, in the world.
    • History: Founded by John "IronHeart" Kolker, along with US Army Veterans and Trail Crushers, Cliff "Bushwacker" Anders, Dr. Scott Festa, Dan Allen, and Paul "Packman" Sealy, it’s designed to push participants to their limits. The inspiration for the Olympus Mons Ultra comes from Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano and highest known mountain in our solar system, standing at approximately 13.6 miles (22 kilometers) high, about two and a half times the height of Mount Everest. This symbolizes the extreme endurance and monumental challenge that participants undertake.
    • Non-Race Aspect: The Iron Hike Olympus Mons Ultra is not a traditional race but rather an endurance event where participants aim to complete the distance and elevation gain within the time limit.
    • Support: Iron Hike provides active medical patrols, food and snacks, and a recovery tent for participants.
    • Historical Finishers: To date, there have only been two finishers including Dr. Scott Festa, aka "Ukulele Scott", a former Green Beret who holds the FKT at just over 63 hours, and Jack "Quadzilla" Jones, a world-renowned single-calendar-year triple crowner of hiking in the USA.

  • Key Differences

    • Race vs. Endurance Event: The Barkley Marathons is a competitive race with a strict time limit and specific requirements, while the IronHike Olympus Mons Ultra is an endurance event focused on completing the distance and elevation gain.
    • Distance and Elevation: The IronHike Olympus Mons Ultra covers a longer distance and has a higher elevation gain than the Barkley Marathons.
    • Duration: Both events have a time limit, but the IronHike Olympus Mons Ultra lasts 84 hours, 24 hours longer than the Barkley Marathons.
    • Course: The Barkley Marathons is known for its unmarked, unpredictable course, while the IronHike Olympus Mons Ultra involves repeated laps up and down a mountain.
    • Support: The Barkley Marathons provides minimal support with no aid stations, requiring participants to be self-sufficient. In contrast, the IronHike Olympus Mons Ultra offers active medical patrols, food and snacks, and recovery tents for participants.

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