JK🇺🇸

John Kelly

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Born 1984-11-19Sponsor La Sportiva
UTMB 725Wins 3Podiums 6

American ultrarunner and data scientist from Morgan County, Tennessee, who grew up across the street from the Barkley Marathons course. One of only two people to have finished the Barkley three times, Kelly is equally accomplished at multi-day endurance challenges, holding FKTs on the Pennine Way and Wainwrights 214 Peaks, and winning the Winter Spine Race.

Upcoming Races

2026
1 race
Western States Endurance Run/Western States 100
Jun 27
161km
5,500m+
Olympic Valley, California

Race Results

2026
2 races
DNF
The Barkley Marathons/Barkley 100 Mile
Feb 14
161km
20,000m+
DNF
Winter Spine/Winter Spine Race
Jan 11
431km
10,732m+
2025
3 races
22nd
TORX/TOR 330 - Tor des Geants
Sep 14
330km
24,000m+
88:28:53
DNF
The Barkley Marathons/Barkley 100 Mile
Mar 18
161km
20,000m+
Completed fun run (3 loops) in 39:50 as only fun run finisher
5th
Winter Spine/Winter Spine Race
Jan 12
431km
10,732m+
87:55:32
2024
4 races
15th
Festival des Templiers/Endurance Trail
Oct 18
107km
4,800m+
10:40:28
DNF
TORX/TOR 330 - Tor des Geants
Sep 8
330km
24,000m+
3rd
The Barkley Marathons/Barkley 100 Mile
Mar 19
161km
20,000m+
59:15:38
Third Barkley finish - became second three-time finisher in history
DNF
Winter Spine/Winter Spine Race
Jan 14
431km
10,732m+
Sprained ankle at ~65 miles
2023
3 races
16th
TORX/TOR 330 - Tor des Geants
Sep 10
330km
24,000m+
85:27:00
2nd
The Barkley Marathons/Barkley 100 Mile
Mar 16
161km
20,000m+
58:42:23
Second Barkley finish - became third person to finish twice
7th
Bandera 100K/100K
Jan 7
100km
1,720m+
9:10:00
2022
1 race
10th
Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run/Hardrock 100
Jul 15
161km
10,000m+
31:29:32
2021
1 race
DNF
TORX/TOR 330 - Tor des Geants
Sep 12
330km
24,000m+
2020
1 race1 win
1st
Winter Spine/Winter Spine Race
Jan 12
431km
10,732m+
87:53:57
View All 23 Results

Career Highlights

2026: DNF at Barkley Marathons and Winter Spine Race
2025: Completed Barkley Marathons fun run (3 loops) as only finisher; Tor des Geants 22nd (88:28:53); 5th at Winter Spine Race (87:55:32)
2024: Third Barkley Marathons finish (59:15:38); Festival des Templiers Endurance Trail 15th (10:40:28); DNF at Winter Spine Race and Tor des Geants
2023: Second Barkley Marathons finish (58:42:23); Long Trail FKT; Tor des Geants 16th (85:27:00); Bandera 100K 7th (9:10:00)
2022: Wainwrights 214 Peaks FKT (5d 12h 14m); Hardrock 100 10th (31:29:32)
2021: Pennine Way FKT north to south (58:04); DNF at Tor des Geants
2020: Won Winter Spine Race (87:53:57); first man to complete the Grand Round
2019: Won The Franklins 200-mile race (60:53:12); Tor des Geants 16th (92:52:54); Lavaredo Ultra Trail 29th (15:41:17); DNF at Andorra Ultra Trail; moved to the UK
2018: Bandera 100K 10th (9:18:53)
2017: 15th person to finish the Barkley Marathons (59:30:53); RRCA National Ultra Championship winner at Lookout Mountain 50 Miler
2016: Hellgate 100 10th (12:45:20)
2015: Lookout Mountain 50 Mile 3rd (6:59:27)

Key Achievements

Barkley Marathons Finisher (2017, 2023, 2024) - Second three-time finisher in history
Winter Spine Race Winner (2020) - 268 miles along the Pennine Way in 87:53:57
Pennine Way FKT (2021) - North to south in 58:04
First man to complete the Grand Round (2020) - Bob Graham, Paddy Buckley, and Ramsay rounds linked by cycling
Wainwrights 214 Peaks FKT (2022) - 523km with 36,000m ascent in 5 days, 12 hours, 14 minutes
Long Trail (Vermont) FKT (2023) - 249 miles in 4 days, 4 hours

Notable Traits

Grew up in Morgan County, Tennessee, home of the Barkley Marathons
PhD in electrical engineering and machine learning from Carnegie Mellon University
CTO of Envelop Risk Analytics, a cyber underwriting firm
Father of four; lived in the UK near Bristol from 2019 to 2022
Blogs at Random Forest Runner, a reference to his machine learning background
La Sportiva Mountain Running Ambassador