The i-Run team says
This book takes you to meet the 15 people who have completed the improbable Barkley race in Tennessee through the unique photographs of Alexis Berg and the writing of Aur?lien Delfosse.
Summary:
The Barkley is a unique, strange, and fascinating race.
Five laps to cover in less than 60 hours in the Frozen Head State Park, Tennessee. Over 200 kilometers, insane slopes, sleepless nights, and books hidden in the forest... Created in 1986 in total anonymity and long kept confidential, the Barkley has become a myth in ultra-trail running.
In recent years, numerous reports and documentaries (Netflix, Canal +, France 2, L'Équipe, etc.) have brought the Barkley to the general public, making it one of the most scrutinized races on the planet. The media describe it as an impossible challenge, an infernal race completed by only 15 people since its inception, which is about 1% of the starters.
Beyond the numbers, there are 15 faces, 15 names about whom we know little or nothing. Who are these men - and women? - capable of outwitting the Barkley's traps and uncovering its secrets? What have they understood, or what do they have that others do not?
We wanted to find them all. To shed light on the mysteries and reveal their stories in this great book of photographs, stories, and interviews.
The finishers tell the story of the Barkley. Each one paints a broad and deep portrait of an incomparable event. Their words also trace the birth of ultra-trail running, fragments of American history, the culture of great hiking trails, and the tradition of FKTs.
Under a porch in Virginia, in a chair in Oregon, facing the mountains of Colorado, or under the Californian sun, the finishers recount 15 American destinies. They are carpenters, glaciologists, paramedics, or engineers. Ordinary people who hide extraordinary individuals.
Author Introductions:
Alexis Berg is an independent photographer, known mainly for his long-term work on ultra-trail running, which began with the book Grand Trail (2015, Ed. La Plage). For L’Équipe, Runner’s World, or National Geographic, Alexis has visited the United States about ten times to document ultra-running and major American races: Western States, Hardrock, Badwater... and of course the Barkley (in 2017, 2018, and 2019).
Aur?lien Delfosse has been a journalist at L’Équipe since 2013. Born in the Lille region, he grew up between northern France and the Hautes-Alpes, where his family is based. Specializing in multimedia and long-form storytelling, he is also a documentary author. He directed “Un Printemps Suspendu” in 2019 and “La Barkley Sans Piti?” in 2017, with Alexis Berg. The world of mountains is at the heart of his work, which deals with skiing, mountaineering, climbing, and trail running.
Key Points of the book from Mons Editions "Les Finisseurs - La Barkley racont?e"
- Stories and testimonies from the 15 Barkley finishers
- Beautiful book illustrated by Alex Berg's photographs
- Anecdotes about the history of trail and ultra-running
- History of a mythical race in the United States
- Follow-up to the documentary produced by L’Équipe "La Barkley sans piti?"
- 320 pages
- Dimensions: 22 x 28 cm
- Authors: Alexis Berg and Aur?lien Delfosse
- Mons Editions
