What is a backyard ultra? Rules, records and the 2026 World Team Championship explained

A backyard ultra is a race with no finish line. Every hour, on the hour, you set off on the same 6.7056 km loop, and if you are not ready for the next start, you are out. The last runner who can complete one more loop entirely alone wins. It sounds like simple arithmetic, but it is a battle with the clock, the night and your own mind, and that is exactly why it draws runners from all over the world, from curious beginners to record hunters. ^[1]

The format now has its own world championship for national teams, held in 66 countries at once in October 2026. In Retie, in the Belgian Campine region, two Belgians broke the world record there. Yet even if you have never run further than a local fun run, you can try the idea for yourself in a single evening. ^{[3] [10]}

How do the rules work?

Each loop is called a yard. The course can be a loop or an out-and-back, but it always measures 6.7056 km. Each yard starts exactly one hour after the previous one. Warnings sound three, two and one minute before the start, and at the bell you must be inside the start corral. Late starts are not allowed, and a loop that takes longer than an hour does not count. So you cannot skip a loop to grab some sleep: if you do not start, you are out. ^[1]

During a loop you are on your own. There is no personal aid on the course, only competitors are allowed on it, and eliminated runners may not run alongside you. Trekking poles and other artificial aids are banned. You may leave the loop only to use the toilet, and slower runners let faster ones pass. Everything you need, from food to a dry top, waits at your own spot next to the start. ^[1]

That ban on company is no small print, as summer 2026 showed. At the Biotropika Backyard Ultra in Russia, Dmitry Klimov ran 123 loops, more than the world record at the time. Lazarus Lake, who created the format, did not recognise a single result from that race: footage showed non-competitors on the course, which counts as outside assistance. ^[14]

Who wins? At some point everyone stops except one runner, who must then complete one full loop alone to win. The last runner to stop before the winner is called the assist. If the final runners all stop on the same loop, there is no winner. Technically everyone except the winner is a DNF (did not finish), but your number of completed yards appears in the results. For most runners, that number is their real result. ^{[1] [3]}

Where does the backyard ultra come from?

American Gary Cantrell, better known as Lazarus Lake and co-founder of the notorious Barkley Marathons, held the first Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra on his property in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, in 2011. The name refers to his dog, Big. The winner of that first edition managed 18 yards. Today the best runners there go beyond a hundred. ^{[2] [8]}

Big’s Backyard is now an invitational race: you earn a place by winning a designated backyard ultra elsewhere or by running an exceptional number of yards. In odd years, Big’s hosts the individual world championship. In even years, since 2020, the World Team Championship takes place, spread across the globe. ^{[2] [8]}

How far can a person go?

Records have soared in recent years and kept moving from country to country. Belgians, an Australian, an American and a Pole have taken turns. Retie keeps coming up: its course is far less demanding than the hills around Bell Buckle, and a faster loop means more rest each hour. ^{[8] [11] [12]}

The women’s record stands at 95 yards, set by Britain’s Sarah Perry at Big’s Backyard in October 2025. She beat the 87 yards run by American Megan Eckert a year earlier. Courtney Dauwalter had already reached 68 there in 2020. Men and women run the same race on the same bell: the women’s record is the best score by a woman in that single, mixed field. ^{[8] [13]}

How does the World Team Championship work?

The World Team Championship has no central venue. Each country stages its own backyard ultra on a home course, and every country starts at the same moment. A nation fields up to 15 runners, and every yard a team member completes counts towards the team total. If two nations are level, the one whose race lasted longest ranks higher. The title is only decided when the last national race ends. ^[3]

That makes it a true team sport: one exceptional runner is not enough, and a nation wins by keeping many runners going for a long time. Frank Gielen, one of the three Belgians on 110 yards in 2024, calls it ‘almost more about management than running’. An experienced crew sorts out small problems between loops, from physiotherapy to a broken phone. Meals are planned and prepared in advance, and the start area is kept calm so runners can recover. ^[15]

What happened at the 2026 World Team Championship?

The 2026 championship started on Saturday 17 October at 12:00 UTC, 14:00 in Belgium, in 66 countries. Team Belgium ran at the Domein Beverdonk in Retie. By day the loop followed unpaved forest trails. At night, for safety, runners went out and back along a gravel road between fields, with little shelter from wind and rain. ^{[3] [9]}

The United States set a high bar. Mark Dowdle won the US race with 107 yards, and the US team finished on 1,120 team yards. Australia ended on 1,069 and Japan on 1,038. ^{[6] [11]}

In Retie, Merijn Geerts (52) and Ivo Steyaert (56) were the last two runners left in the world. On Thursday 22 October at 14:00 they completed their 120th loop, about 805 km each, and moved past Phil Gore’s 119 yards. Belgium then stood on 1,050 team yards. To catch the Americans, the pair had to keep going together until roughly loop 155: on equal totals, the nation with the longest race wins. ^{[1] [3] [6] [10] [11]}

How is it different from a conventional ultra?

In a conventional ultra you know the distance in advance and the first runner across the line wins. In a backyard ultra, speed is almost beside the point: everyone restarts together every hour, and the fastest loop earns you nothing but a little extra rest. You race the clock and yourself. Does the open end sound like too much? Then try a fixed-time backyard, such as a Backyard 6 or Backyard 24: the same rules, but it ends after the agreed number of hours. ^[1]

How do you pace yourself?

Choose the loop time you can repeat for longest, not the fastest one. Finish a yard in 50 minutes and you have 10 minutes to eat, drink, use the toilet and look after your feet; at 55 minutes only 5 remain. Too fast costs you energy hours later; too slow leaves no room for a blister or a toilet queue. The first hours should feel too easy. Let the group go and run at a pace where you can chat comfortably. ^[7]

Walking belongs in the plan from the start. Pick fixed sections, such as a climb or a narrow path, where you walk on every loop, so your pace does not creep up unnoticed. Speed up only when you truly need the time, for example to fit in a short nap at night. Never to drop someone: at the next bell you will be standing side by side again. If the same pace suddenly feels much harder, look at food, warmth and your walking sections before going faster. ^[7]

Your break is short, so every decision made in advance saves time. Keep food, drinks and a warm layer in a fixed spot, in the order you will need them. Expect cold nights, sleep loss and a stomach that tolerates less after many hours: choose food you already know and pack spares. Ivo Steyaert calls the mind the biggest enemy, with only a few minutes each hour to eat and sleep. ^{[7] [9]}

Is a backyard ultra for you?

You do not need to be an elite athlete to try the format, and age alone decides nothing: the two Belgians who improved the record in 2026 are 52 and 56. For a first attempt, what matters most is covering 6.7 km comfortably within the hour, even if you walk the climbs; that is a little slower than 10 minutes per kilometre. Experienced trail runners often need to learn to go slower than they are used to. Beginners first discover how their body copes with starting, stopping and starting again. If you are returning from injury or unsure what your body can handle, talk to your doctor or physiotherapist. ^{[1] [11]}

Short on time or without a car? Most backyard training can happen on a fixed loop close to home that you reach on foot, by bike or by public transport. You need very little special kit: shoes that stay comfortable for hours, a reliable head torch, warm layers and a chair or mat for your breaks. On a tight budget, put your money into the torch and good shoes first. A second-hand fleece or jacket is perfectly fine, as long as you test it beforehand.

How to try it yourself

Your first backyard does not start at a race start line but on a loop near you. Find a circuit you can repeat safely, with a fixed starting point where you can leave a drink and a spare layer: a bench at the edge of the woods or simply your own front door. A flat forest or park loop is plenty. The exact 6.7 km matters less than the rhythm of running, resting and setting off again on the hour.

A loop in the Campine region, not far from Retie, to practise the rhythm of running and resting. Check its length and run Pre-Flight before you go.

A well-known loop in the Sonian Forest near Brussels; check the distance and access information in Pre-Flight.

Hungry for more? For a first race, pick a fixed-time backyard, or set yourself a target of, say, 6 or 12 loops in an open backyard and stop with a smile once you reach it. In Belgium, Backyard Belgium organises official backyard ultras in places such as Antwerp and Beauraing, and the Netherlands has regular editions too, for example in Leersum and Zeewolde. Start this week: choose your loop, set an alarm for the top of the hour and run your first two yards. ^{[2] [16]}

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