In his 2025 Barkley Marathons report, John Kelly recounts what he describes as his worst loop in 29 Barkley loops. Battling unexpected heat with temperatures climbing into the 70s, his water filter unable to keep up, he resorted to drinking straight from streams. A finish was clearly out of reach, but Kelly's mindset had evolved since the last time he faced that realization — he chose to press on rather than quit. Loop 1 came in at 9 hours and 50 minutes, his slowest opening loop since 9:29 in 2017. The course had been made significantly harder following the record five finishers in 2024, and the conditions compounded the difficulty. Kelly reflects that while storms and ice make for the most dramatic Barkley stories, he would much rather be cold or wet than hot. In the end, Kelly was the only runner to complete the fun run (three loops), cementing his status as one of the most experienced Barkley runners in history. The piece also touches on his upcoming Appalachian Trail attempt — his 'holy grail' — and his desire to support communities devastated by Hurricane Helene along the route.