How to Host a Backyard Ultra

How to host a Backyard Ultra: course setup, Backyard Ultra Association registration, and results configuration on UltraSignup.

What is a Backyard Ultra?

Last runner standing. Everyone runs the same loop. A new loop ("yard") starts every hour, on the hour. Finish your yard in time and you get the rest of the hour to rest. Miss a start or fail to finish, you're out.

There's exactly one winner: the last person to complete a yard.

Where it came from

Backyard Ultras were invented by Gary "Lazarus Lake" Cantrell, legendary race director and one of the founders of the Barkley Marathons. The original event is Big Dog's Backyard Ultra, held on his property in Bell Buckle, Tennessee and named after his dog.

Today, Big's is an invitational. The top competitors earn their spot through wins across a bracket of American and international backyard ultras, with the best advancing to the World Individual Backyard Championships.

Before you start: what you'll need to pull this off

• Course measured to exactly 4.167 miles / 6.7056 km 
• Corral sized for your full starting field (stays the same size all day) 
• Bell and warning system (3 / 2 / 1 minute countdowns before each yard) 
• Aid rules communicated to runners ahead of time 
• Results plan in place (yards completed; one winner; everyone else DNF) 
• Timing app tested and confirmed to support Backyard format 
• Backyard Ultra Association registration complete if you want your race on the official calendar

What you're responsible for on race day

The course 

Measure it exactly: 4 miles 880 feet (6.7056 km). Loop or out-and-back both work. This isn't a suggestion. An under-measured course can invalidate your results with the BUA.

The corral 

Size it to fit your entire starting field. It stays that size for the whole event. Every runner must be inside it at the bell. No exceptions.

Starting each yard 

Each yard starts precisely one hour after the last. Your job is to run the countdown: warnings at 3, 2, and 1 minute before the bell. No late starts are allowed, so make sure your warning system is loud and reliable.

Enforcing the yard rules 

Runners can't leave the course during a yard except for restroom breaks. No personal aid during a yard. No trekking poles or other artificial aids. No non-competitors on course, including eliminated runners. Slower runners must yield to passes. Every yard must be completed in under an hour to count.

These are the rules you'll field the most questions about. Get them in your pre-race briefing.

Timing 

Tracking lap times is optional. What matters is knowing who finished each yard and who didn't.

Calling the winner 

Last person to complete a yard wins. Everyone else is a DNF. If no one can complete one more yard than anyone else, there is no winner. Simple, but make sure your runners understand it before the race starts.

Fixed-duration format (Backyard 6, 12, 24)

If you want to set a defined end time, you can run a fixed-duration Backyard race up to 24 hours. Name it by length: Backyard 6, Backyard 12, and so on. No winner is named. Runners either finish or DNF. All other rules apply.

Running one alongside a standard Backyard Ultra? Both events must start at the same time.

Setting up your Backyard Ultra on UltraSignup

Backyard Ultras don't fit a standard mileage format. Here's how to set it up so your results make sense.

Event type: Timed

You don't know the final yard count ahead of time, so don't set this up as a fixed-distance race. Use a timed event with a generous upper bound (96 hours works) so you're not forced into a fake distance cap.

Results: yards completed

Yards are your primary result field. Distance is optional and secondary. If you display it, use 1 yard = 4 miles 880 feet / 6.7056 km.

Include the DISTANCE_TIME field so each runner's final yard completion time is on record.

Results formatting: status codes

Unofficial Finish keeps everyone's yards and times on record without listing multiple athletes as official finishers. There's only one of those.

What to tell your runners

Drop this in your pre-race communication:

Results will be posted as total yards completed. The last runner to complete a yard is the winner and will be marked as Finisher. Everyone else will be marked as Unofficial Finish. Your yards and final completed yard time will still be recorded.

Timing app note

UltraSignup's timing app can track laps for Backyard Ultra events. One thing to know: the clock doesn't reset each hour. That means if you need accurate per-yard times, you'll need to log those separately outside the app.

If you're using a third-party timing tool, confirm it supports hourly yards and last-runner-standing logic before race day. Not all of them do.

Registering with the Backyard Ultra Association

Register your race here

Complete this form to get your race on the Backyard International Calendar and make your runners eligible for world rankings, national teams, and the World Individual Backyard Championships.

For more details, please visit the official Backyard Ultra Association website

A few things worth knowing:

• This is race registration with the Backyard Ultra Association, not athlete registration for your event
• You must complete this form to be listed on the official calendar
• Hosting your event registration on UltraSignup is separate and not required to join the BUA
• That said, we'd love to have you. Here's how to get started.

Common Backyard Ultra questions

Do I have to track lap times? 

Not required, but recommended. If you track them, you can load both a time and a distance column when uploading your timed results to UltraSignup. That means more accurate placements and a smoother experience for you and your runners.

Can pacers or crew join runners on course? 

No. Non-competitors cannot be on course during a yard, including eliminated runners and crew. Get this in your pre-race briefing so there's no confusion mid-event.

Is there a finish line for everyone? 

Not in the traditional sense. The event ends when only one runner can keep completing yards. For fixed-duration events (Backyard 6, 12, 24), it ends when time runs out.

What if two runners tie? 

If no participant completes one more yard than anyone else, there is no winner. This is an official outcome under Backyard Ultra Association rules, not an error.