the format
one loop. every hour. forever.
A backyard ultra has no distance and no cut-off, which makes it sound easier than a marathon and is why it is not. The rules fit on a postcard; surviving them does not.
every full hour
6.7 km
One loop, starting on the hour. Finish early and the remainder of the hour is your rest; finish late and you are out.
the start
on the hour
Every runner starts together from the corral, every hour, for as long as they last.
the finish
there is none
No distance to complete and no cut-off to beat. The race ends when one runner is left, and that runner must complete a final solo loop to be declared the winner.
elimination
miss one, you are out
Anyone who fails to complete the loop in the hour, or does not start the next one, is eliminated. There is no partial credit.
the rest is the race.
The loop is the easy part. What decides a backyard ultra is the gap between finishing one and starting the next, because that gap is whatever you have left of the hour.
- a 40 min loop
- 20min
- a 50 min loop
- 10min
- a 58 min loop
- 2min
Time left to eat, change, treat your feet and sleep, before the next start.
three ways to be out.
support on the course
Any assistance once the athlete has entered the loop, down to handing over a gel, is an immediate disqualification.
crew on the track
Crew members are not allowed on the course at all. If it happens, the athlete they are crewing is out.
no headlamp after dark
A working headlamp is mandatory in twilight and darkness. Without one you do not start the loop.
Alongside the obvious one: not completing the loop inside the hour, or not starting the next.
base camp
3 x 3 metres, yours.
Marked in advance and assigned first come, first served. As runners drop out, the remaining camps may be moved closer to the starting line.
Up to 3 crew members may work on you here, and having a crew is optional rather than expected.
what is provided
water. that is close to it.
Water is provided in containers for each athlete. There is no electrical hookup, and full catering is not provided: every participant manages their own nutrition.
An aid station at base camp is stocked throughout, but it supplements self-sufficiency rather than replacing it.
still want a number?
International ultrarunners, athletes, well-known sports personalities, content creators, and the runners drawn from the lottery.