Backyard Ultra Events exploded in popularity over the last few years thanks, in part, to their straightforward setup. The objective is to complete successive 4.167-mile loops, each in under one hour, for as long as you can. A little more than 4 miles in an hour sounds easy, and for the first few hours it is. Many hours later, it’s not so easy. Backyard Ultras are not only great challenges themselves, but they can also help runners solve failure points that plague them in start-to-finish races.
Backyard Ultras are “last person running” events, rather than a set start-to-finish distance (100 miles) or duration (24 hours). If you do not complete the loop and make it back to the finish line/starting corral by the top of the hour, your day(s) is finished. The repetitive nature of the laps encourages rote execution, the same process over and over. This creates a very controlled environment (or as controlled as you’re going to get in an ultra) that allows runners to find their limits and reach new distance milestones. Is every runner going to eventually run 354 miles over the course of 85 hours like Harvey Lewis’s record-breaking performance at Big’s Backyard Ultra in October? Probably not, but a runner can use the simple setup of a Backyard Ultra to solve failure points that have troubled them in past races and have a breakthrough performance.
Crewing
An effective crew can streamline time spent at aid stations, keep the runner mentally engaged, and solve problems before an issue derails your race. The beauty of a Backyard Ultra is that the runner sees their crew every hour. Backyard Ultras have basic aid station fare available to everyone, but each runner is allowed their own personal aid station tent. Within that area, the runner can have anything and everything they want. You can have a cot and sleeping bag for a quick nap, a camp stove to cook your favorite food, a wardrobe of extra shoes and clothes, and all your preferred nutrition and hydration products.
Four miles between aid stations and a set time to leave and get back out on course is the most accessible aid station setup of any ultrarunning event. There is no overthinking and overpacking drop bags that are scattered across successive aid stations on the course. Your crew is not frantically navigating sketchy forest roads and stressfully racing to the next aid station. The “hurry up and wait” mentality is replaced with “relax and wait.” The crew has more than enough time to prepare the aid station for the runner’s return. This encourages a stress-free environment to consume calories and address problems. You have time to make gear and clothing changes when necessary, and prepare optimally for the next lap.
CTS ATHLETE CHRIS MURPHY’S SETUP AT BIG’S BACKYARD ULTRA
Testing Nutrition and Hydration
Nausea and/or vomiting was cited as the second highest problem for finishers and the highest problem for non-finishers in Marty Hoffman and Kevin Fogard’s 2009 study that explored the issues that affected runners at the 2009 Western States and Vermont 100-mile races . Multiple factors contribute to stomach issues to stomach issues during an ultra. Among those are inadequate training, poor pacing during high temperatures, failure to stick to a plan, and not properly hydrating.
In a typical ultra, runners map out their nutrition and hydration plan before the race or set a reminder on their watch to remind them to eat and drink. Sometimes, however, a runner miscalculates the time between aid stations and runs out of food and water. Maybe the day was hotter than expected and the runner should have carried a third bottle. Or the runner simply lost their sense of time and frequency for how much they should eat and drink. Race at high elevation also affect some runners’ ability to consume calories.
Backyard Ultras reduce the guesswork of estimating time between aid stations and tracking energy and fluid consumption. Although the weather will change throughout the day and night, temperature should ebb and flow within reasonably predictable range because you’re staying within such a small geographical area.
Nutrition Goals
Nutrition goals can be as simple as eating a sports nutrition product on each loop, drinking one bottle of water, and eating some type of real food upon returning to the aid station. The crew member can easily keep track of how many calories the runner has consumed, what food options are working, and adjust hydration and electrolyte goals as the temperature changes throughout the day and night. For runners who successfully execute nutrition and hydration plans for 50k events but struggle beyond the 6- to 8-hour timeframe, the simplicity and standardization of a Backyard Ultra can be great for testing out different strategies.
Pacing
“I went out too fast,” is a common talking point in reviewing any ultrarunning performance. It’s completely understandable to go out too fast due to the palpable energy at the start line and feeling fresh a few weeks of tapering. But going out too hot can come back to bite you. You gain little to no advantage in “racing” each loop at a Backyard Ultra.
A Backyard Ultra is not the format to chase a time PR at a certain distance. There is little utility in completing a loop in 40 minutes versus 55 minutes. Steady pacing encourages consistent energy expenditure and fueling habits.
Camaraderie
Between spectators, crews, and fellow runners, you will not be alone during a Backyard Ultra. In a standard ultra, runners spread out and may run solo for hours. Running by yourself can be advantageous because you’re likely to stick to your own personal race strategy. It can also be a hindrance if you lose focus, struggle with negative thoughts, and subsequently slow down. Running with company may lower perceived exertion, provide access to more encouragement, and create a memorable race experience.
Runners also develop a strong bond with one another throughout a Backyard Ultra. There is a competitive element, in that they want to be the last one standing, but there’s also camaraderie that leads runners to push and support one another. Harvey Lewis, Chris Roberts, and Terumichi Morishita would no doubt credit each other in each runner’s ability to crest the 72-hour mark and go beyond 300 miles at Big’s Backyard Ultra.
Put It Altogether
The simple and standardized nature of Backyard Ultras allows every runner to fine tune critical ultrarunning skills. A Backyard Ultra may not be your idea of an A-race, but you can use a Backyard Ultra to better learn about yourself as a runner, solve and correct issues that have plagued you in past races, and reach distances that have previously eluded you.
References:
Hoffman MD, Fogard K. Factors related to successful completion of a 161-km ultramarathon. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2011 Mar;6(1):25-37. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.6.1.25. PMID: 21487147.
What is humanly possible at a backyard ultra , how far can the boundaries be pushed ? This format is relatively new and as such the record for the most number of laps is growing almost monthly. As of today, August 2022, the record is 85 laps.
The most laps completed in a backyard ultramarathon is 85, achieved by Harvey Lewis (USA) at Big’s Backyard Ultra in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, USA, on 16 –19 October 2021. Backyard ultramarathons challenge competitors to complete a run of 4.167 miles (100 miles divided by 24) every hour until only one runner remains. Harvey Lewis won the 2021 Big’s Backyard Ultra after completing 85 “yards” – a total distance of 354.16 miles (569 kilometres). The race began at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning and finished at 9 p.m. on the Tuesday, with competitors running a trail by day and road at night. Lewis bested the previous backyard ultra record of 81, set by John Stocker at the 2021 Suffolk Backyard Ultra.
If you believe David Goggins ( https://davidgoggins.com/ ) we only ever tap into about 40% of our potential, there’s another 60% available but only a few can get access to it. This event certainly gives you the opportunity to find your extra 60% . The record stands at 85 laps and I’m calling it here , it will be over a 100 hours by 2024, the only limiting factor will eventually be sleep. Mental and physical conditioning will get you there but you need sleep, without sleep of course you fail or die; whichever comes first. At the moment this type of event is on the outer of the running world, mention a backyard ultra to most non-runners around the drink fountain and most have no idea what you are talking about. A marathon is well ingrained in the non runners vocabulary and these days and even ultra marathons adventures are met with a knowing sigh and roll of the eyes by non-runners , no longer the kudos of days gone past. Backyard ultras will gain traction around the water fountain in time but for the moment they are seen as quirky and hard to relate to, this will change but most ‘proper runners’ concentrate on the more traditional distances, for the moment.
