The Masochist's Marathon

The world's top ultrarunners fight to compete in the Barkley Marathons, an ever-shifting race designed by a madman to break their spirits through 100 miles of hellish Appalachian mountains. So far, only 14 people have completed it. [ view in browser.   add esquire@newsletter.esquire.com to your address book ]             FOLLOW US       The Masochist's Marathon   A man is begging on the side of a Tennessee mountain. He's crumpled on the ground, his clothes are soaking wet, and he's sucking air hard. His wife weeps as she huddles over him, her hands resting softly on his arm. Above them stands a bearded figure in a wide-brimmed hat and a worn-out oilskin duster. "I got all my pages!" pleads the man on the ground. His voice is shrill, hysterical. "I dropped down the wrong side of the mountain in the fog. I had to swim a river." He gasps for air again. "I got all my pages!" A small group of onlookers cover their mouths and stare. They look from the broken man on the ground to the inscrutable face of the bearded figure looming over him. "He got all his pages," repeats a voice in the crowd. "He got all his pages." READ MORE       When the Power Went Out in Puerto Rico   Nothing slows down, not even World Central Kitchen. Not when there are communities to feed. Read On         The Simpsons Creators Just Don't Care Anymore   Matt Groening himself has addressed the Apu controversy, claiming "people love to pretend they're offended." Read On         Every Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best   From Iron Man to Thor: Ragnarok, we rank every entry into the multi-billion dollar franchise. Read On         Priyanka Chopra Wants the World   The Quantico star has been expertly balancing two careers in Hollywood and Bollywood for years. She has no plans to choose between them, and why should she? Read On         It's Been a Momentous Year for Jake Tapper. He Walked Us Through His Viral Moments.   The CNN anchor is essential viewing in the Trump era. Read On       Unsubscribe •  Privacy Policy   esquire.com ©2018 Hearst Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Email Privacy, 300 W 57th St., Fl. 19 (sta 1-1), New York, NY 10019