Backyard ultra

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File:Backyard Ultra Final.png
Two finalists starting a new loop

The backyard ultra or last one standing is a form of ultramarathon race where competitors must consecutively run the distance of 6.706 kilometres (4.167 mi) in less than one hour.[1] The distance of each loop (aka Yard) is equal to 100 miles divided by 24 hours, or 1/24th of 100 miles, so that a competitor would run 100 miles for a full day (24 hours) of competition. They must repeat this every hour until only one person completes a full lap - the last one standing.[2]

The backyard ultra format has gained a reputation for its grueling and unpredictable nature, as well as the camaraderie among participants. Challenges include sleep deprivation, exhaustion, and varying weather conditions.

History

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Backyard ultras are the invention of Gary "Lazarus Lake" Cantrell,[3] who is also one of the founders and race directors of the Barkley Marathons.

The original backyard ultra is Big's Backyard Ultra, which is held on Cantrell's property in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, and is named after his dog.[4][5][6] First held in 2011, today Big's is an invitational race where the top competitors participate based on wins in a bracket of the various American and international backyard ultras.[3]

Description

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A backyard ultra consists of repeated one-hour laps. Each lap begins on the hour and must be completed within that hour. The distance of each lap is set at 4.167 miles (6.706 km), a figure derived to ensure that completing one lap every hour for 24 hours results in exactly 100 miles (160 km) covered in a single day.[7][8]

The event continues until a single runner completes a lap alone; that runner is declared the winner and the sole official finisher, while all other competitors are recorded as "DNF" (Did Not Finish). If no competitor manages to complete one more lap than the others (for example, if the remaining runners all fail to finish the next lap), the race ends with no winner and all competitors listed as DNF. The competitor who completes the second-most laps is commonly referred to as the "assist".[9][10]

Rules are strictly enforced across local and championship events; runners must be in the starting corral at the bell, may not receive aid on the course, and cannot leave the course except for restrooms.[8]

Global growth and impact

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Since its inception, the backyard ultra format has grown into a global phenomenon. By 2023, events were being held in over 70 countries under an international framework that feeds into a World Championship.[11] Media outlets have noted the format's rapid rise in popularity, attributing it to its accessibility and the "existential" nature of a race with no defined finish line.[12]

The format has also been adapted for virtual events, notably gaining traction during the COVID-19 pandemic when travel was restricted.[13] Beyond the sport itself, the format has drawn attention for its psychological depth; coverage in The New York Times highlighted how the grueling, repetitive nature of the event provided a coping mechanism for Ukrainian runners during wartime.[14]

Records

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Phil Gore (Australia) holds the world record of 119 loops (495.8 miles (797.9 km)), assisted by Sam Harvey (New Zealand) at the Dead Cow Gully event in Queensland, Australia on 26 June 2025.[15][16]

The female world record for a backyard ultra performance is 95 laps (395.8 miles (637.0 km)) set by Sarah Perry at the 2025 Backyard Ultra World Individual Championship in Tennessee.[17]

Milestone performances - Men

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Milestone backyard ultra performances, including world records (WR).

Yards Name Nationality Runner up "Assist" Date Event/Place Notes
119 (WR) Phil Gore Australia Sam Harvey (NZ) 26-Jun-2025 Dead Cow Gully, Qld, Australia [15]
116 (WR) Łukasz Wróbel Poland Jan Vandekerckhove (Belgium) 1-May-2025 Legends Backyard Ultra, Retie, Belgium [18]
110 (WR) Merijn Geerts, Ivo Steyaert, and Frank Gielen Belgium n/a 24-Oct-2024 Retie, Belgium Backyard Ultra World Team Championship [19]
108 (WR) Harvey Lewis USA Ihor Verys (Canada) 25-Oct-2023 Bigs Backyard Ultra, Tennessee, USA [20]
102 (WR) Phil Gore Australia Sam Harvey (NZ) 21-Jun-2023 Dead Cow Gully, Qld, Australia [21]
101 (WR) Merijn Geerts, Ivo Steyaert Belgium n/a 19-Oct-2022 Kasterlee, Belgium Backyard Ultra World Team Championship [22]
90 (WR) Merijn Geerts Belgium Keith Russell 14-May-2022 Rettert, Germany [23]

Milestone performances - Women

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Milestone backyard ultra performances, including women's world records (WWR).

Yards Name Nationality Runner up "Assist" Date Event/Place Notes
95 (WWR) Sarah Perry GBR Meg Eckert (USA)
(92 yards)		 21-Oct-2025 Tennessee Backyard Ultra World Championship 2025 [17][24]
87 (WWR) Meg Eckert USA n/a 24-Oct-2024 Tennessee Backyard Ultra World Team Championship[25]
74 (WWR) Jennifer Russo USA n/a 30-May-2023 Capital Backyard Ultra in Lorton, VA [26]
68 (WWR) Courtney Dauwalter USA n/a 20-Oct-2020 Bigs Backyard Ultra, Tennessee, USA [27]
60 Maggie Guterl USA n/a 22-Oct-2019 Bigs Backyard Ultra, Tennessee, USA

Female overall winner[28]

67 (WWR) Courtney Dauwalter USA n/a 23-Oct-2018 Bigs Backyard Ultra, Tennessee, USA [29]
30 Katie Wright NZ n/a 03-May-2019 Riverhead Backyard Relaps Ultramarathon, New Zealand Female overall winner[30]

Notable events

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Significant and recurring Backyard Ultra races held around the world.

Event Name Location First held Course record Sources
Big Dog's Backyard Ultra Bell Buckle, Tennessee, USA 2011 108[31] [32]
Backyard Ultra World Team Championships Global (simultaneous national events) 2020 110[33] [34]
Dead Cow Gully Backyard Ultra Nanango, Queensland, Australia 2020 119[35] [36]
Suffolk Backyard Ultra Festival Suffolk, United Kingdom 2018 88[37] [38]
Herdy's Frontyard Ultra Herdsman Lake, Western Australia 2021 57[39] [40]

Scientific research

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The unique demands of the backyard ultra - specifically the combination of intermittent high-intensity exercise and chronic sleep deprivation - have made the format a subject of scientific study. Research published in PLOS One in 2024 utilized participants in the Suffolk Backyard Ultra to analyze cognitive deterioration. The study found significant impairments in reaction time and executive function (specifically in Stroop tasks) as the race progressed into multi-day durations, providing data on how extreme fatigue affects decision-making.[41]

References

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