No finishers at 2026 Barkley Marathons in Frozen Head State Park

No finishers at 2026 Barkley Marathons in Frozen Head State Park

See photos of the 40th Barkley Marathons, which took place in Frozen Head State Park in Wartburg, Tennessee, and began on Feb. 14, 2026.

2026 Barkley Marathons Delivers Another Brutal Reckoning - Triathlon Magazine Canada

At 6:00am on February 14th, the 2026 Barkley Marathons began as it always does: with the quiet click of a lighter and the small red ember at the end of Gary Cantrell’s cigarette. Better known as Lazarus Lake, Cantrell signaled the start deep in the dense forests of Frozen Head State Park. For those unfamiliar with it, Barkley is less a race than an endurance puzzle disguised as an ultramarathon. Athletes are tasked with completing up to five unm…