How a Backyard Ultra Runs

“It’s not who runs the fastest. It’s who quits last.”

The Format

• A 4.1667-mile loop (one “yard” / “loop”), the same for every runner.
• A new loop starts every hour, on the hour.
• Whistle warnings at 3 min, 2 min, 1 min; bell at the top.
• Runners must be inside the starting corral at the bell — one second late is a DQ.
• Any runner who fails to complete a loop inside 60 minutes is out.
• Aid only in the staging area between loops.

The Assist

The winner must complete one final loop alone — which means the runner-up has to force it. Without the assist, no one wins. The 2023 Big’s world record (Harvey Lewis, 108 loops) exists because Ihor Verys stepped off at 107. The 2025 world record (Phil Gore, 119 loops at Dead Cow Gully) exists because Sam Harvey dropped at 118. Runners-up are honored, not pitied.

When Nobody Wins

The 2024 Team World Championship ended with three Belgians — Merijn Geerts, Ivo Steyaert, and Frank Gielen — all quitting together at loop 110. Team gold, but no individual winner. The 2025 BPN Go One More Ultra was storm-called at loop 57; Kendall Picado Fallas and Kim Gottwald were declared co-winners at 56.

Silver & Gold Tickets

Big’s Backyard Ultra in Bell Buckle, Tennessee is the championship. Feeder races carry Silver Ticket, Bronze Coin, or Gold Ticket status; the winner of each qualifies for Big’s. US Silver Ticket races for 2026 include Ohio’s, Capital, and Banana Slug. Big Tex carries Bronze Coin status.

Day Loop vs Night Loop

At Big’s specifically, daylight hours run on a wooded trail on Laz’s property. After dark, runners switch to a paved road loop of identical distance. The road is logistically safer at night, but runners describe it as the harder loop — nothing to look at, just a white line and a brain in its own company.

The Origin — Laz and Big

Gary “Lazarus Lake” Cantrell, the Tennessee race director who co-founded the Barkley Marathons, launched Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra in October 2011 on his Bell Buckle farm. The race is named for Big, his rescue pit bull, who wandered onto Laz’s property half-starved and carrying gunshot wounds.

The format was built backwards from the 24-hour, 100-mile benchmark — a 4.1667-mile loop ×24 = 100 miles in 24 hours. Every serious backyard runner hits 100 miles after day one. Day two is a different race.

Glossary

Loop / Yard

One circuit of 4.1667 miles (6.706 km). Scoring unit of the sport.

LPS

Last Person Standing. The sole winner.

Assist

The runner-up — the person whose dropout forces the winner’s final loop. Without an assist, no one wins.

Silver / Gold / Bronze Ticket

Qualification tiers for Big’s Backyard Ultra.

DNF / DNS

Did Not Finish / Did Not Start. Every runner who isn’t LPS is recorded as DNF.

IBYUWC

Individual Backyard Ultra World Championship. Held in odd years at Big’s.

Where to Watch

• Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra — broadcast-native, 100-hour coverage every October.
• BPN Go One More Ultra — Nick Bare’s production-heavy Texas stream.
• Dead Cow Gully — where the 119-loop world record was set.
• Legends Backyard Ultra — the Belgian marquee.