The BFC’s rules are similar (no GPS or maps allowed on the course, stopwatches and compasses only), with one curveball: at the 22.1-mile point, racers must decide whether to hold on til the end of the 50K (which takes approximately another three hours), or to opt for a shorter route that nets them only a marathon finish. The word “marathon” rarely connotes shame, except at the BFC, a 50K race that’s designed as a Barkley-lite for those contemplating the longer race. RELATED: What you need to know about the Barkley Marathons. And it turns out the Barkley is just one of several ultras he directs, each with its own set of arcane regulations.
His races raise money for underfunded local high schools. Lake is a legend in the ultra world, claiming to have run at least 100,000 miles before age and injury caught up with him.
To the uninitiated, Lake (whose real name is Gary Cantrell) appears so eccentric, it’s hard to imagine people take his events seriously, following his quirky rules to the letter to avoid disqualification. Yet they do. Ultramarathoners are their own special kind of crazy, and there may be none crazier than Lazarus Lake, race director of the notoriously difficult Barkley Marathons, which took place last weekend in Tennessee, with no finishers.
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