r/backyardultra

I am expecting some big numbers this weekend in Belgium. Probably the best field I have seen outside of a Bugs race.

Hiya folks, a few weeks ago I took part in a Backyard that had 7,000m of elevation in the 36hours of running, also another backyard in my country that styles itself as the toughest backyard in the world (because it’s got awful underfoot conditions).

Is there any mentionable backyards any of you have taken part in or heard of that contain any unique elements, such as big elevation or strange terrain. also any resources that detail courses beyond the limited info on the bigs website.

Hi all.

I've been running with my Garmin Forerunner 55 which is an entry level watch with 20 hours battery life on GPS mode.

Last year during my 1st BYU attempt (Sydney) I went 15 yards and had 22% battery life left. I started with 100% charge and disabled the heartrate monitor in case the watch runs out of battery before I do.

I'll be back this September attempting 20 yards, and am looking to upgrade my watch to a model that will comfortably last 24+ hours on GPS mode.

Any recommendations? I'm used to the Garmin interface and would prefer to stay, but it's not essential.

Thanks in advance!

Hey guys

My first BYU 11 months ago I ran 30 yards, I felt I really couldn't finish that 31st yard and timed out. I was happy with this result, I was the assist, I had pushed till the limit, good times.

Fast forward 4 months, I'm in the later stages of another BYU about 25 yards in, there's 4 of us left, one of them has a PB of 61 and has his sights set on the silver ticket and I just crash. I am physically able to keep going but I don't feel like it anymore.
My amazing crew bullies me into running another 2 yards, one of which I run in under 33 minutes but then I just stop, refuse to continue, or technically I take 3 steps over the start line and head back.
I remember asking myself 'why? Do I really run another 4 hours just to increase my PB with 1...'

In hindsight I did not prepare myself mentally at all. I see I should go in with a rock solid motivation to go as far as I can possibly go, to go so long that the day after I believe I could not have run 1 more, regardless of my position or PB

But I do remember feeling very demotivated by having to go quite long just to hit my PB, how do you guys deal with this?

Hi everyone! Someone local is hosting a backyard ultra trail run and I signed up just to try it out. I’ve ran a couple of their trail races in the past, and wanted to see how far I could go. The furthest distance I’ve ever done is a half marathon. My goal ultimately is to go for 4-5 yards. The elevation gain is 300-400 ft, mostly towards the end. I’ve been walking the uphills and running the straights at a 12-13 min pace. I tried out the course once today and finished in 57 minutes. Tbh this is cutting it way too close for me. My goal is to finish each lap ideally 50-52 minutes, 55 at the upmost. Granted, I did get a little off course so that cost me a bit of time, but anyways.

this race is May 30, and I don’t plan on winning by any means, but I certainly don’t plan on only competing one yard. Could anyone provide me with any tips for training? My currently plan is to do yards for practice when I can, adding one each week, and then doing some hill sprints to build uphill strength. Apart from that, easy runs and long runs mixed with strength training and stairmaster. Any tips for this race would be great! I have a crew(my friends lol) and nutrition relatively figured out so that I get roughly 16 oz water, 50 carbs, and 300-600 mg sodium each lap. Thank youNnn

Hi All - I rarely post but am a long time lurker. Please tell me if the post is out of bounds for this sub.

I’m running to help stop homelessness and I mean that literally.

On Friday, April 24th, I’ll be taking on the Banana Slug Backyard Ultra. That means running 4.2 miles every hour, on the hour… until I can’t finish a loop within the time limit. One loop at a time, for as long as I can go.

My goal? To push past 48 hours and 200+ miles.

Why take this on? Well, I work at Housing Connector where we’re focused on solving homelessness by both getting and keeping people housed. This run reflects that work, steady, relentless, and often challenging. For many in our communities, stability isn’t guaranteed. It’s something they fight for every single day.

While this race is voluntary, temporary, and supported, unlike the realities many families face, it will push me into moments where quitting feels easier than continuing. Every time I choose to keep going, it’s a reminder of why this work matters.

I’m using this challenge to raise funds for our 0% rent loan and micro grant programming, helping people stay in their homes before a crisis begins.

If you’re able, please consider donating or sharing with your network and let’s make every loop count.