The Ultra Backyard is one of the most extreme challenges of Ultra Running. Let’s discover the story, the crazy format and the world records of this race without a pre -established goal.
Ultra running is a world apart, a universe where the heart of the marathon It is certainly not the arrival line, but only the starting point, where the race is no longer measured in kilometers that can be faced, but in hours, days, if not in weeks of pure resistance, both physical and mental. The protagonists are super athletes who push human limits to the maximum, capable of testing the body and mind in unthinkable ways.
Ultra running includes all the races that exceed the 42.195 km of the marathon, with distances ranging from 50 km up to 100 miles and beyond. Competitions can take place on the road, in the mountains, or on closed circuits, and some include paths so extreme as to touch the impossible. Among the many formulas of this discipline, a brutal simplicity stands out and the absolute unpredictability: we are talking about the Ultra Backyard.
The birth of the Ultra Backyard
Imagine A race without a defined goal, without a pre -established distance to go. It seems a paradox, but that’s exactly what happens in the Ultra Backyard, a competition conceived by Gary “Lazarus Lake” Cantrellthe mind behind the lightly infernal Barkley Marathons.
It all began in 2011, when Cantrell hosted the first edition in his property in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, giving life to the Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra, in honor of his Big Dog dog. The idea behind the race was as simple as he is ruthless: an elimination race, in which The only way to win is the last to stay standing.
The rules of the Ultra Backyard
The Ultra Backyard format follows a precise scheme: Every hour, athletes must travel a ring of 4,167 miles (6.706 km). The departure of each lap is fixed exactly at the stroke of the hour. Those who do not complete the tour in time is out, while those who manage to complete it has the right to continue. There are no prolonged breaks, there is no time to sleep: the race continues until one run -up remains.
This formula brings to some competitions that can last over 80 hourstransforming itself into a battle not only physical, but above all mental. Each participant must find the right balance between speed and recovery, avoiding tinging too quickly but also of wasting precious minutes that could serve to hydrate, eat and even close their eyes for a few seconds.
The most famous ultra backyards
Over time, the Ultra Backyard has spread globally, with various events that are held in every corner of the world.
In Italyevents such as the Backyard Ultra in Bologna and the Sicilian Backyard Ultra They have conquered an ever greater sequel, coming to attract many athletes ready to test themselves in this endless race. In our country, the format is also known by the name of “The last survivor”.
In the worldthe most prestigious event remains the Big dog’s backyard ultra in the United States, which acts as a real world championship. Other important events include theAustralian Backyard Mastersfamous for seeing several world records broken several times, and the Capital Backyard Ultra (USA), where Jennifer Russo established the women’s record of 74 laps in 2023.
How to qualify for the World Championship
Participating in the Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra is not within everyone’s reach. Athletes can qualify through different roads:
Ultra Backyard records
Each edition of the Ultra Backyard moves the limit of human explosion further. Among the most incredible records:
Male records:
Female records:
Italian records:
A race for those who love to go further
The Ultra Backyard is not a race for everyone. Here not only physical resistance counts, but also the mental one, because athletes face loneliness, extreme effort, sleep that becomes an inaccessible luxury.
Yet, those who participate in this race do so with the awareness of exploring an unknown territory, a place where time expands and the boundaries of the possible always move a little further. For some, the goal is to beat one’s personal record, while for others, simply, it is to get to the end.
After all, the Ultra Backyard is a journey more than a competition, which is not measured in kilometers, but in the ability to resist, one hour after another, until only one remained.
We leave you with an interesting interview with the already mentioned Italian champion Antonio Di Manno, edited by Esco to run:
