In the Spell of the Barkley cover art

In the Spell of the Barkley

Unravelling the Mystery of the World's Toughest Ultramarathon

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 Months Free + £10 Audible voucher

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Get this deal
Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST.
More purchase options

In the Spell of the Barkley

By: Michiel Panhuysen
Narrated by: Rupert Holliday-Evans
Get this deal

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £12.00

Buy Now for £12.00

Bloomsbury presents In the Spell of the Barkley by Michiel Panhuysen, read by Rupert Holliday-Evans.

A wonderful, compelling read'
Vassos Alexander, radio presenter and ultrarunner

Welcome to the Barkley Marathons, a fever dream of an ultra event, inspired by a prison break, heralded by a conch blast, paid for in cigarettes and socks, and completed only by a select few. A race in which competitors haul themselves up mountains, through extreme weather conditions, beyond pain and exhaustion, mile after mile. Completed 60 miles? That’s just the fun run.

Journalist and ultrarunner Michiel Panhuysen is a multiple-time Barkley entrant, having fallen under the spell of this most enigmatic of races – and its presiding philosopher-genius organizer Lazarus Lake – in the early 2010s. On each occasion, the Barkley won. The Barkley nearly always wins.

In the Spell of the Barkley is a story of sporting obsession, exploring what drives individuals to challenge themselves at the limits of what is possible – and what it takes to succeed.©2023 Michiel Panhuysen (P)2023 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Extreme Sports Running & Jogging Sports Sports Running Biography
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Critic reviews

A compelling account of one of the world's most enigmatic races, captured by an author fully in thrall
The engrossing story of his fascination with, and multiple attempts to complete, the world’s most difficult ultramarathon race ... highly recommend
A wonderful, compelling read
A fascinating peek into an extreme sport.
For fans of extreme sports and books about why some people push themselves physically and mentally to compete in them.
All stars
Most relevant
Enjoyed the narration and the story, and how it links to different people’s journeys. Would listen again

Magical ultra story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Well written and narrated. A fascinating insight into the Berkeley Marathon. Proof that clinical insanity loves flogging itself.

Excellent Listen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I liked it all,aside from the narrator doing "voices" of people. The narration didn't need that. otherwise I loved it

How fascinating

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This was a bit more than I thought...it's not just about the Barkley...it's more of a journey on the why of ultra running...I've suffered through one ultra before and thought never again, but....I think this has given a better perspective and am enthused to do more

Inspiring

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
As a whole Really enjoyed the whole story. The Barkley is a fascinating race . Was a nice surprise to have the same narrator from the Shantaram book 👏

Excellent insight to the Barkley

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews