Join CFPA and the CT Trailmixers for a special evening with author Jared Beasley for a slideshow, reading, and meet-the-author event centered on his book, The Endurance Artist: Lazarus Lake, the Barkley & a Race with No End.

The program will take place at CFPA’s Meeting Room. Light refreshments and drinks will be available. Bad weather date: Friday, February 20.

In The Endurance Artist, Beasley takes readers deep into the strange and compelling world of the Barkley Marathons—an infamous ultrarunning event created by the enigmatic Lazarus Lake. Known for its brutal terrain, cryptic rules, and astonishingly low finish rate, the Barkley has become a proving ground for endurance athletes and a meditation on the limits of human perseverance. Beasley weaves together history, firsthand reporting, and cultural insight to explore why runners are drawn to a race that seems designed to defeat them.

Jared Beasley is an accomplished writer and journalist whose work focuses on endurance sports, resilience, and the psychology of extreme challenges. A longtime ultrarunning observer and participant, Beasley brings a thoughtful, narrative-driven approach to his storytelling, blending athletic achievement with deeper questions about motivation, suffering, and meaning.

This evening offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from the author, see visuals from the world of the Barkley, and engage in conversation about one of the most fascinating endurance events on the planet.