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Ultras · US · TN

The Barkley Fall Classic

Barkley Fall Classic XIII
50K · 50K
Waitlist only
UltraSignup registration stays open, but entry is via a rolling waitlist draw rather than guaranteed sign-up: "Over the Halloween weekend we selected the spots in the 2026 field... you can register TODAY... get on the waitlist and you could be chosen NEXT. Lots of people withdraw before the race." 502 people were on the UltraSignup roster as of this research (Aug 2026), against a reported 500-runner cap.
Race dateSeptember 19, 2026
Duration1 day
Start7:00am
Whenin 28 days
First held2014
Official website Entry Lottery Aid stations
Free, and always will be. NavRun makes money from race-day planning for runners who want it, never from this. Ultras change constantly, sometimes the morning of. Always confirm with the race director and the official website before you rely on anything here.
Distance 50K
Climb not checked yet
Descent not checked yet
High point 3,200 ft
Time limit 13:20:00
Aid stations 3
Started not checked yet
Finished not checked yet
Finish rate not checked yet
The course

Where it goes loop · 3 aid stations

The full Barkley Fall Classic distance. Published as a 50-kilometer race, but the actual distance is not fixed: the course is redesigned every year and not revealed until the night before, and GPS-watch accounts from individual editions have recorded distances well past 50K (see difficulty_notes). A cutoff at the course's Decision Point diverts any runner who has not reached it in time onto the Marathon course instead of pulling them from the race.

The race

What this one is

A 50-kilometer race at Frozen Head State Park, Wartburg, Tennessee, created by Lazarus Lake and Steve Durbin to give runners "a taste of what the Barkley Marathons is all about": the same mountains, some of the same signature climbs, a course map withheld until the night before, and no GPS. Runners who miss the cutoff at the course's Decision Point are diverted to a shorter Marathon finish rather than pulled from the race.

Founded in 2014 by Lazarus Lake (Gary Cantrell, creator of the Barkley Marathons) and Steve Durbin of Durbin Race Management. The 2026 edition is billed by the race itself as "Barkley Fall Classic XIII" (its 13th running), which is consistent with a 2014 first year. UltraRunning Magazine's results archive for the race begins with a "30 Miles" category in 2014, switching to "50 KM" from 2015 onward.

Getting in

Getting in Entry, lottery and what the race asks of you before race day.

Lottery
Yes
Lottery opens
not checked yet
Lottery draw
not checked yet
Field cap
500 trailrunner.com
Registration
UltraSignup ultrasignup.com
Qualifying
not checked yet
Minimum age
not checked yet
Transfers
No ultrasignup.com
Deferrals
No ultrasignup.com
Crew, pacers and drop bags

The rules that shape your day Anything marked "not checked yet" is a gap in what we hold, never a no from the race.

Crew allowed
Yes ultrasignup.com
Vehicles per runner
not checked yet
Pacers
No ultrasignup.com
Muling
not checked yet
Drop bags
No ultrasignup.com
Cupless
not checked yet
Course marking
Partially Marked ultrasignup.com
Night running
Yes ultrasignup.com
Dogs
not checked yet
Headphones
not checked yet
Crew rules
"Your 'crew' is NOT entitled to hang out at the aid stations or take food or drink from the stations. IF you have someone with you who has volunteered and been assigned to a station, then Thank you very much!!" ultrasignup.com
Pacer rules
"No pacers or running as bandits. Friends and family are NOT allowed to run with you. Running on areas that are not marked park trails subjects you to possible arrest, and citations being given to you by Park Rangers." ultrasignup.com
Drop bag rules
"Drop bags are not allowed. Caching is not allowed." ultrasignup.com
Cutoff philosophy
"The Decision Point is exactly that. You decide if you wish to continue on in pursuit of the Croix de Barque, or take the marathon finish. IF you decide to continue, it's all or nothing... you'll either finish in time for the Croix, or receive nothing but admiration that you went for it." There is no partial credit for attempting the 50K past the Decision Point: a runner who continues and does not finish in time receives a DNF, not a marathon result. ultrasignup.com
Aid stations

Every stop, and what you get there ● yes   · no   ? nobody has checked

Mile Station Cutoff Crew Bag Pacer Med To next
0.00 Start / Frozen Head State Park ? ? ? ? ? ?
? Decision Point (Marathon / 50K split) ? · ? ? ? ?
? Finish / Frozen Head State Park ? ? ? ? ? ?
Same race, other lines

Other distances and other years

Other distances
Marathon
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Where this came from. Every fact on this page records its source and when we last checked it: 77 sources for this race. Hover a source link to read the sentence it came from.
41% of what we track for a course is filled in. The rest says "not checked yet" rather than guessing.
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