First woman ever finishes infamous torture marathon with rules designed to make you lose
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Gary Robbins / Preston Keres/The Washington Post via Getty Images
A British runner has made history by becoming the first woman to ever finish an infamous 'torture' marathon.
The notorious Barkley Marathon is a race that was first set-up in 1977 by Gary 'Lazarus Lake' Cantrell and Karl Henn.
After reading about the escape of James Earl Ray - the assassin of Martin Luther King Jr - the pair were inspired.
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The assassin only managed to travel eight miles (13km) in 60 hours before he was caught.
Cantrell believed he could cover at least 100 miles in that time, so set upon creating a race to prove his point.
And the race created is designed for failure, with participants tasked with having to collect a page corresponding to their race number.
The Tennessee race usually begins on the weekend closest to April Fools' Day, with an entry fee of just $1.60.
The race really couldn't be any more different from the likes of marathons we see in cities, as the Barkley Marathon has no official start time.
Instead, those who make it to Frozen Head State Park campground on the correct date are informed one hour before the race starts with the sound of a conch shell horn.
And the race officially gets underway when the race director lights a cigarette.
Jasmin Paris has made history with this year's race as she completed the challenging course with just one minute 39 seconds to spare of the 60-hour cut off.
The Scottish woman slumped to the ground in exhaustion after finishing the race, with the 40-year-old having to navigate extreme train throughout the night.
After covering 100 miles involving 60,000ft of climb and descent, Jasmin was unable to speak was unable to speak.
So, in a text message exchange with the BBC, she said: "It still hasn't really sunk in that I've finally done it.
"This year I had a strong feeling in the months of training and run up to the race that I could do it. Those final moments have redefined for me what I am capable of."
David Miller, a professional photographer at the race, also shared his thoughts with the publication.
"There was a lot of anticipation at the finish line and three minutes before the 60 hour cut off we heard shouting and a roar and it was people cheering Jasmin on," he said.
"She was sprinting and giving it her all as there was no room for error because otherwise she would not have made the cut off.
Miller added: "She touched the gate and collapsed in exhaustion. It was the best thing I have ever seen, it was unbelievable.
"Obviously I was very focused on trying to capture Jasmin and a moment in history but at the same time I could feel a tear behind the lens because it was such an emotional moment."