Akihiro Maeda

(kagi translated of his instagram post)

The Barkley Marathons 2026】

I just got back from running the Barkley Marathons, a stage I’ve always dreamed of.

I haven't been able to talk about it publicly because of the rules—you aren't allowed to disclose that you're participating or even the dates of the race.

Those of you with a sharp eye might have guessed something was up from looking at my training on Strava lol.

As for the result, I couldn't even finish one loop within the time limit, so it was a DNF.

In the entire race, there were no finishers again this year. Only one person completed a "Fun Run" (three loops within the time limit), which just goes to show the overwhelming difficulty of this event.

This was a year of firsts: the race staging area was moved due to renovations, and for the first time in its 30-plus-year history, the first loop was counter-clockwise. Most notably, the race was held in February, which is highly unusual!

I feel honored to have been able to run in such a landmark year.

While I’m frustrated that I couldn't even complete a single loop, the experience of navigating by map and searching for the books for the first time was honestly so much fun I couldn't help myself!!

Out of all the races I've ever done, this was the most enjoyable and exciting.

It reminded me of being a kid and losing track of time playing in nature; it felt like it stripped away all my unnecessary self-consciousness.

I plan to share a more detailed recap in smaller parts later, but for now, I just wanted to report that I finished the race safely!

First, I want to say a huge thank you to @kota.shuto Shuto-san for supporting my participation,

and to @rd_tomo TOMO-san for generously sharing advice from your past experiences!!

Thank you so much!!