The backyard ultra race has been around for nearly 14 years now, after the first one being held in 2011 in Tennessee. Invented by the famous endurance race designer Gary ‘Lazarus Lake’ Cantrell, who invented one of the toughest races on the planet, the Barkley Marathons. The backyard ultra has been growing steadily in the UK over the last few years and the concept has always intrigued me. So, when the Manchester Backyard Ultra announced their inaugural event, I signed up to give it a go.

The backyard ultra is a last person standing concept and has no finishing distance or finish line. Competitors must consecutively run a distance of 6.706km or 4.16 miles within the hour, on the hour, every hour until only one person remains. Essentially there is only one finisher and everyone else is classified as a “DNF” (Did Not Finish). Brutal I know!

I didn’t really know what to expect on race day or how to train for this type of event so I researched what I could and came up with a plan. I’ve had a busy race season this year, so the base fitness is already there and having recently completed the Race Across Scotland 215 ultramarathon, the running whilst very sleep deprived had been experienced. The specific training block for this race was only about 4 weeks and involved shorter runs, loads of time on feet and even long walks at a brisk pace. Thrown in was 2 strength training session per week with focus on core and lower body.

We set up camp in the spectator’s area behind the starting corral. Dave, who would be crewing me through the event set up the event shelter, table, chairs, stove etc. whilst I attended registration. Having someone to crew me was a must to allow for efficient recovery and turn around time in between the laps, aka yards.

The course was an out and back generally on compacted trail / light gravel, from the starting line we would run around the spectators field (very overgrown and tough on the ankles), drop down a 30m technical trail to pick up the main trail through the woods, this had a slight downhill gradient and at the 2.5km point we crossed the M60 motorway, via a very unsteady bridge, taking a sharp turn left and another 30m technical decent then picking up a loop underneath some rail arches before following the same route back over the motorway bridge, through the woods and back the way we came to the finish.

At 11:30am the competitors gathered at the starting line for the race brief. The basics being there would be a warning whistle blown at 3 mins, 2 mins and 1 min before the hour, then the bell would sound on the hour signalling the start of the next yard. Competitors had to be at the start line before the bell and leave the starting corral within 30 seconds of the bell to start their next yard. The competitors could receive no assistance whilst on a yard and could only leave the course to use the toilet. The yard is complete when the competitor completes the course distance and crosses the finish line. Any time saved from the hour is used to fuel and recover.

My plan was to have 10 minutes per hour to fuel and recover, meaning I didn’t have to take anything with me on the yard and could focus on the pace, but would mean I would have to consistently complete the distance in 50 minutes. That meant my target pace was below 7:28/km. Sounds easy! I tried to implement this strategy on my first yard but quickly found it felt very slow and hard to keep that pace, so I changed to run on feel and focus on keeping my heart rate in zone 2. This felt more comfortable. I completed my first yard in just over 44 minutes, leaving me with a more than comfortable 16 minutes to re-fuel, rest and recover.

The first 5 or 6 yards went fast without anything to write about. My revised strategy was working for me, and I was feeling strong and refreshed at the start of every hour. I was running along with a good friend Wayne, whom I’d met at many ultramarathons over the years, we were having a good chat and catch up, so the time was flying by.

Fuelling wise I was mixing it up with fluids and solid food and trying to get down around 300 calories every hour. Fluids included water, tea, coffee, tailwind, coke, protein shakes, and food included flap jacks, burgers, bacon butties. chicken wraps, crisps, pot noodles, sweets, and fruit.

After 6 yards, the distance ticked over 40km, and a handful of competitors had already dropped out. Yard 7 would see the marathon distance passed. This milestone coupled with the darkness setting in seen more competitors drop out. The head torches were out now, and the weather couldn’t make it’s mind up, with some heavy showers and even some hailstone. The temperature also dropped; we were in for a long night!

After yard 10, only 45 competitors remained. We had been running for nearly 10 hours now. It did feel like Groundhog Day but we were getting used to the course, recognising little features along the route, even in the dark, every little gradient change or were you could pick the pace up or need to slow down. Everyone seemed to have their own strategy and pace and I started to recognise the same people at the start, along the route and at the finish. Sometimes you would see someone different leading the pack, obviously on a high after a decent bit of rest and a re-fuel. Then I wouldn’t see them again and wonder if they had dropped out, before seeing them a few yards later. Everyone had different a different strategy.

After 12 yards it was now past midnight and 38 competitors remained. My strategy was still the same. Consistently averaging 44-45 minuets to complete the yard leaving me with plenty of time before the next. I noticed this strategy had me completing the yard with the front group each time, but I wondered if it was a little fast. Because of the cold night I was cooling down much faster and getting cold in between yards but the 15 minuets recovery meant I could run the 45 minuets with relative ease. I stuck with it.

Each yard after 12 I noticed the numbers dwindle. On completing yard 18 I noticed there was 10 of us remaining. It was just before 6am and the daylight would be here again soon. 10 became 9 after the 19^th yard. 127km / 80 miles completed.

The 9 of us gathered at the start line for yard 20 the sun was up, and I felt refreshed and full of optimism, but I could tell the others felt the same way. Yards 20 and 21 were consistent, we all ran at a similar pace and completed it within a couple of minuets of each other. I thought it was time for some mind games. Yard 22 I went out hard, I wanted to put doubt in the minds of the remaining 8 others and try and break their will to continue. I ran around the spectator’s field and looked back as I turned out on to the trail, no one had followed me, and I was already over 500m in front of them. Funnily enough I did feel strong on this yard I put that down to the strict refuelling plan and maybe using different muscles with a faster paced run. I stuck to it for the whole yard. Yard 22 was turned out to be my fastest of the race, I completed it in just over 40 minutes. My plan didn’t work, none of them broke. Absolute machines all of them.

Yard 24 is the 4-hour marathon type milestone in a backyard ultra. Completing this yard means you have covered 100 miles in sub 24 hours. All 9 of us set out. But only 8 of us completed it. Meaning 1 was timed out. Another 2 called it a day leaving 6 of us.

At the starting line for yard 25 there was 6 of us remaining. This was my toughest yard. All 6 of us completed it. It was my slowest yard. I made it back with 3 minutes to spare before yard 26. 2 more competitors finished after me and just made it back in time. But that was it, the field was down to 3.

This is where my race ended. I was timed out at yard 26. I had finished in joint 4^th place.

3 competitors completed yard 26 before becoming 2.

The remaining 2 competitors battled together and completed 31 yards. Before 1 remained. He went out and completed yard 32 on how own and became the only finisher.

I really enjoyed this format of racing. There’s no right or wrong strategy. Different things work for different people. You need more than physical fitness to compete which makes it a true ultra race. You need the will and strength to push your physical and mental boundaries beyond your comfortable limits. I will be back competing in a backyard ultra again soon and will be fully prepared to push myself past the 25 yards I achieved in this race.

The stats.

4^th Place

25 yards / hours completed.

170km / 106 miles covered.

18:43:32 @ 6:47/km