ODE TO THE BARKLEY
"The race that eats its young"
The Barkley marathon. "The race that eats its young." This collection was born out of my fascination with the 2017 documentary by the same name.
The Barkley is an endurance ultra-marathon trail race held in Frozen Head State Park near Wartburg, Tennessee. The full course is 100 miles (160 km) and the altitude change is equivalent to climbing and descending Mount Everest twice. The race takes place each year in late March or early April over a 60-hour period.
Invented by Lazarus Lake and Rag Dog in 1986, the Barkley is a test of man's physical and mental strength.
There is one paper map released by Lazarus that changes every year and based only on that, the runners must find their way through the Tennessee woodlands; there are no trail marks. This is a race veiled in mystery.
Making these garments was my own Barkley marathon.There were a million and one times where I wanted nothing more to give up because I didn't think myself capable enough to finish. I still think of that as one of most difficult times in my life. I feel a deep connection to the Lazarus Lake mentality that unless people try something they can fail at, they won't know their true mental strength.
The pieces I created exemplify the race in a number of ways. The chest piece has the race map quilted and embroidered into it, held to the body by legs and little feet that clasp in the back.
There is a detachable sleeve based on the removable clothing ultra-runners wear and the detachable skirt pockets that turn into bags to hold everything a runner needs. This race and these men have been a saving grace in my life, a reason to keep running at walls.
