University of Utah engineering alumnus Jared Campbell said he’s going to miss competing in this year’s Barkley Marathon, though you may ask yourself why once you learn what the Barkley Marathon is. It’s one of the craziest, most challenging ultramarathons there is, a gut-wrenching 130-plus-mile trek that laps around Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee in which you have to navigate the course yourself with just a compass and map. Plus, the runners (of which only 45 from around the world are invited to participate each year) will ascend and descend a total of 69,000 feet in elevation during the journey.

Campbell, who graduated from the U in mechanical engineering in 2002 and is now a chief engineer with L3 Technologies in Salt Lake City, is the only person to have finished the race three times, in 2012, 2014 and 2016. Those last two years, he was the only participant to finish the race at all. Due to a new baby and work commitments, he will miss this year’s race but return next year. “It’s a little bit sad,” he said about not participating in this year’s event. “I’ll miss it, and I’ll be there in spirit, but I’ll be back.”

Below is a short documentary featuring Campbell and the marathon.

(Photo credit: krys – runningmag.fr)

2014 – Barkley 100 – World’s most difficult and bizare sporting event (The Documentary Network)