Backyard Ultra: Why the Last One Standing Race Is Booming, Where to Run One, and What I Learned Meeting Lazarus Lake
Written by Andy Hood · Ultra runner, cancer survivor and Runna ambassador
Published 2 November 2026
Article contains affiliate links or codes which support this blog and the cancer charity work Andy undertakes
Backyard ultras have been growing in popularity over the past few years, but they're nothing new in the running community. So why has the backyard format suddenly appeared in more runners' race calendars and all over Instagram?
Could a chance meeting with Lazarus Lake, the man who invented it, yield the answer?
Since the dawn of time man has wanted to push further, faster, higher, exploring the limits of what's possible and setting the new bar. Marathon times have been tumbling, half marathon times too, and ultras have become the new normal.
In this guide I explain what a backyard ultra is and how the rules work, how one race in a Tennessee field became a worldwide movement, what I took away from meeting Laz in Chamonix, and where to find a backyard ultra near you, in the UK, Ireland, Europe, the USA, Australia and beyond.
In this guide
What is a backyard ultra?
A backyard ultra (BYU) is a last one standing race where runners complete a 4.167-mile (6.706km) loop every hour, on the hour, until only one runner is left. Each loop is called a yard. There's no set distance and no finish line, the race simply ends when one runner completes a yard on their own.
Why 4.167 miles? Because 24 of them in 24 hours comes to exactly 100 miles. Of course it does.
Run the yard in 45 to 50 minutes and whatever is left of the hour is yours, to eat, change your socks or shut your eyes. Then the whistle goes and you're off again, ready or not.
The yards add up quicker than you'd think:
Yards | Distance | Milestone |
7 | 29.2 miles (46.9km) | Past marathon distance, you're an ultra runner |
8 | 33.3 miles (53.6km) | Past 50K |
15 | 62.5 miles (100.6km) | 100km |
24 | 100 miles (160.9km) | 100 miles in 24 hours |
48 | 200 miles (321.9km) | Two days without proper sleep |
Backyard ultra rules
The backyard ultra rules are simple, which is exactly what makes the format so cruel. These are the official rules every affiliated race follows:
The course is a loop or out-and-back of 4 miles 880 feet (6.7056km). Many races use a trail loop by day and a flatter road loop at night.
The start: every yard starts exactly one hour after the last, with whistles three, two and one minute before. Be in the starting corral when the bell goes, or you're out.
The yard: finish inside the hour, or you're out. No help on the loop, no pacers and no trekking poles. Your crew can only look after you between yards.
The winner is the last runner to complete a yard on their own. The runner who drops out last is credited with the assist.
Everyone else is a DNF. Run 300 miles, be second to last out there, and the results still say you did not finish.
No winner: if nobody can complete one more yard than everyone else, nobody wins.
Yes, you read that right.
Big's Backyard Ultra
Backyard numbers are no less impressive than the falling marathon times. Roll back to 2012 and the record for the maximum number of yards was 28, set by Joe Fejes. Six years later Johan Steene had taken that to 68, and even the legendary ultra runner Courtney Dauwalter weighed in with 67. When a mainstream name like Dauwalter runs, the world takes notice, so this was always going to be a pivotal time for the backyard format.
Now let's look at what I consider to be the real birth of the backyard ultra. A farm in Tennessee, 2011, and an event named after the founder's dog. Big Dog's Backyard Ultra and Lazarus Lake (real name Gary Cantrell), the man behind the Barkley Marathons.
That year American Tim Englund took the crown with 18 yards (75 miles).
Wind forward to 2026, and at this year's World Team Championship on the Big Dog's course, Team USA runner Mark Dowdle ran 107 yards (Yardlore).
Whilst marathon times are tumbling, backyard laps are headed in the opposite direction. And I think that is some of the appeal.
In 15 years the backyard has gone from one field in Tennessee to hundreds of races around the world.
Laz still hosts Big's in his own backyard every October.
Backyard ultra world record
The backyard ultra world record is 124 yards, roughly 516 miles (831km), set jointly by Belgians Merijn Geerts and Ivo Steyaert at the World Team Championship in Retie, Belgium, in October 2026. After more than five days of running, the pair chose to stop together (Marathon Handbook).
The women's world record is 95 yards (395.8 miles), set by Britain's Sarah Perry at Big's in October 2025.
Here's how the record has climbed since that first race in Laz's backyard.
Year | Yards | Runner | Race |
2011 | 18 | Tim Englund (USA) | Big's Backyard Ultra |
2012 | 28 | Joe Fejes (USA) | Big's Backyard Ultra |
2013 | 35 | Tim Englund (USA) | Big's Backyard Ultra |
2014 | 49 | Jeremy Ebel and Johan Steene, no winner | Big's Backyard Ultra |
2017 | 59 | Guillaume Calmettes (France) | Big's Backyard Ultra |
2018 | 68 | Johan Steene (Sweden) | Big's Backyard Ultra |
2023 | 102 | Phil Gore (Australia) | Dead Cow Gully, Queensland |
2023 | 108 | Harvey Lewis (USA) | Big's Backyard Ultra |
2024 | 110 | Merijn Geerts, Ivo Steyaert and Frank Gielen (Belgium) | World Team Championship, Retie |
2025 | 116 | Łukasz Wróbel (Poland) | Legends Backyard Ultra, Retie |
2025 | 119 | Phil Gore (Australia) | Dead Cow Gully, Queensland |
2026 | 124 | Merijn Geerts and Ivo Steyaert (Belgium) | World Team Championship, Retie |
Nearly seven times as far as the first winner, in 15 years. Records move fast in this format, so if you're reading this a year from now, there's a fair chance someone has gone further again.
Why backyard ultras are so popular
Running a two hour marathon is an incredible feat of human effort. But running for 107 hours, as Dowdle did, requires something superhuman. As the body wants to shut down, demanding sleep, it becomes a long, drawn out battle of body and mind.
And here's the thing. The backyard is accessible to you.
You don't need to qualify for most of them, and you don't need to be fast, you need to cover 4.167 miles inside an hour. Nobody is out front and nobody is at the back. Everyone starts together every hour, so the runner going for 100 yards and the runner going for their first 10 stand in the same corral and set off side by side.
A few other reasons the format has taken off:
Everyone gets a stage. One yard, a first marathon, a first 50K, a first 100 miles. You pick your own finish line, and the format celebrates every one of them.
It's sociable. Crews camp beside the corral, runners chat on the loop, and the hourly reset turns a race into a weekend festival.
It's easy to put on. A short loop and a stopwatch is all an organiser really needs. Laz has said himself that the format needs so few resources it can spread almost anywhere (Runner's World).
There's a ladder to climb. Any affiliated race can earn you a place on your national team, and from there a start at Big's.
You can watch it. Races are livestreamed for days, and the drama at the sharp end of the World Team Championship pulled in viewers from all over the world.
The growth is real. At the end of October 2026 the official Big's race calendar listed 666 affiliated backyard ultras in 84 countries (Big's Backyard Ultra). In Sweden it's now easier to get into a backyard than a marathon, simply because there are more of them (UltraRunning Magazine).
Lazarus Lake documentary: The Hillbilly Scientist
I met Laz in Chamonix this August, at the world premiere of The Hillbilly Scientist, the only authorised documentary about him. It was made by the British production company Mellor&Smith, directed by Paul Mellor and Luke Jarmey, and screened once, at the Cinema Vox during UTMB week.
During the 75 minute film, the Q&A session and chatting to Laz afterwards, I saw a man who wanted to help people find their real limit, on their terms.
He provided the stage. You stepped up and performed.
And that's my answer to the question at the top of this article. The backyard isn't about beating anyone else. This is you against you, and Laz built a format where everyone, from the everyday runner to Phil Gore, finds out exactly where their limit is.
It's an opportunity I never imagined I'd get, and I'm so glad I had it. In the blog article The Hillbilly Scientist I cover the premiere itself.
Backyard ultra training tips
I use the backyard format in training for long events. For my 24 hour treadmill run I used it on my 40 and 50 mile training runs.
The 10 to 12 minute rest each hour gives the body enough time to think it's finished for the day. Then the clock strikes the top of the hour, you start running again, and the body thinks WTF are you doing?
It teaches you to manage your running in a completely different way.
I naively thought it would be easy. Run four miles at a relaxed pace, take 45 to 50 minutes over it, then do it again. By lap 7 I was hurting. By lap 10 I was considering my life choices.
If you're training for your first backyard ultra, this is what I'd focus on:
Run backyard sessions. Set a 4.167-mile loop near home and run it on the hour, every hour, for 4 to 8 yards. It's the closest thing to race day you'll get.
Find your yard pace. Aim for 45 to 50 minutes, roughly 11 to 12 minutes a mile. Faster isn't better, it just costs energy you'll want on day two.
Practise the 10 minutes. Toilet, eat, drink, shoes, back in the corral. Have a routine, and have your crew practise it with you.
Train your stomach. You'll eat every hour for as long as you last, so learn what you can get down quickly at 3am.
Prepare for the night. The hours after midnight are where most backyards are won and lost. Your body is shutting down for sleep at the very moment you're asking it to perform. I explain why in understanding circadian rhythms and the circadian low, and what it did to me in my 2am to 6am performance drop case study.
Build the base first. If a backyard would be your first ultra, start with my first 50K training plan.
If you want a structured plan behind you, Runna has ultra plans that will get you to the start line, and you can try it free for 14 days with code ANDY2 (claim your free trial).
Big's Backyard Ultra qualification: Silver Tickets and the at-large list
You qualify for Big's Backyard Ultra by becoming your country's national champion, or by running one of the best results in the world during a two-year qualifying window. The world championships alternate every year.
Odd years, World Individual Championship. Held at Big's in Tennessee every October. The field of 75 is the top 50 national champions plus 25 runners from the at-large list (UltraSignup).
Even years, World Team Championship. Every country runs at the same moment on its own course, with up to 15 runners a team. Every yard by every runner scores a point, and the last runner standing in each country becomes national champion, with a place at the next Big's.
Silver Ticket races. Win one and you're guaranteed a place on your national team.
The at-large list. The remaining team places go to each country's best results from any affiliated backyard in the qualifying window (Big's Backyard Ultra).
Bronze Ticket races. A lower rung on the ladder, mainly in the USA, where winners earn entry or discounts to Silver Ticket races.
Which means the yards you run at your local backyard can genuinely count. Every affiliated race is a step on the road to Big's.
Backyard ultra near me: race calendar
The easiest way to find a backyard ultra near you is the official Big's race calendar, which you can filter by country and month. It lists every affiliated backyard, so any result you run there counts towards national team selection.
Below I've picked out the best known backyard ultras around the world, with the month each is usually held and a link to the organiser.
I haven't included dates, because they change every year, so always check the organiser's website before you plan your training.
Races move too. Capital in Virginia switched from May to March in 2026, and the Highlander moved to a new castle the same year.
Backyard ultra UK events
The UK has one of the busiest backyard calendars in the world, with races in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from January to November. England's first was the Suffolk Backyard Ultra in 2021, where John Stocker ran 81 yards, a world best at the time (runABC). By 2025 the same race had 375 entries.
Several of these races have been Silver Ticket events, where the winner earns a place on Team UK. That status changes every cycle, so check with the organiser.
Backyard ultra | Where | Usually held | Why go | Organiser |
Longbridge 100 | Alfriston, East Sussex | January and June | Almost 200m of climb a yard, and a 6pm start | |
Rasselbock Backyard Ultra | Sherwood Pines, Nottinghamshire | March (Hardwick Hall in September) | Big fields, sells out fast; hosted Team UK in 2026 | |
Portland Pig Backyard Ultra | Isle of Portland, Dorset | May | Coastal views, prisons and a winner's trophy carved from Portland stone | |
Brighton Backyard Ultra | Stanmer Park, Brighton | May | South Downs trails near Ditchling Beacon | |
God's Own Backyard Ultra | Hunters Greave, Leeds | May and November | Trail by day, canal towpath by night; course record 41 yards | |
Red On Backyard Ultra | Cheltenham Racecourse, Gloucestershire | May | A backyard inside one of racing's most famous venues | |
Suffolk Backyard Ultra | High Lodge, Thetford Forest | June | The UK's flagship backyard and the deepest field in the country | |
Kent Backyard Ultra | Bedgebury Pinetum, Kent | June | Forest loop from the Walled Garden, run by Hellfire Events | |
Breakheart Backyard Ultra | Breakheart Quarry, Dursley, Gloucestershire | June | Midsummer timing for maximum daylight, from the Berkeley Marathons team | |
Manchester Backyard Ultra | Giants Seat Scout Camp, Radcliffe | June | Out-and-back on a former railway line | |
Last One Standing Florence Court | Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh | June | Northern Ireland's Silver Ticket backyard, in its tenth year | |
The Highlander | Murthly Castle Estate, Perthshire | July | The Scottish Championship | |
Scouts Honour Backyard Ultra | Hollinwood Scout Camp, Worsley, Manchester | August | Flat, fast woodland trail, capped at 100 runners | |
Devon and Cornwall Backyard Ultra | Newnham Park, Plymouth | August | Every penny goes to Bowel Cancer West | |
Thetford Backyard Ultra | High Lodge, Thetford Forest | September | Late summer sister race to Suffolk | |
Cow Shed Backyard Ultra | Wheelbirks Farm, Stocksfield, Northumberland | September | The North East's big one; course record 35 yards | |
Golspie Backyard Ultra | Dunrobin Castle, Sutherland | November | Highland winter backyard, with the Northern Lights if you're lucky |
The Devon and Cornwall Backyard Ultra is the closest to me here in North Devon, and every penny it raises goes to a cancer charity.
For more UK races beyond the backyard format, my guide to the best ultra marathons in the UK runs through the options.
Backyard ultra Ireland events
Ireland runs an All-Ireland backyard series, with a qualifying race in each province feeding an Irish championship in August.
Backyard ultra | Where | Usually held | Organiser |
Hellevation Backyard Ultra | Grange, Co. Tipperary | April | |
Dublin Mountain Backyard | Ballinascorney, Co. Dublin | May | |
Western Yards Backyard Ultra | Kilcornan, Co. Galway | May | |
Irish BYU Championship | Florence Court, Co. Fermanagh | August | |
Kilworth Backyard Ultra | Kilworth, Co. Cork | September |
Backyard ultra Europe events
Mainland Europe is now the centre of the backyard world. Belgium's course at Domein Beverdonk in Retie has produced three world records since 2024, and Sweden, Germany, Spain, Poland and France each run dozens of backyards a year.
Backyard ultra | Where | Usually held | Why go | Organiser |
Backyard Ultra Warmia | Lake Kielarskie, near Olsztyn, Poland | March | Silver Ticket in 2026; Łukasz Wróbel ran 70 yards here | |
Wayout Backyard Ultra | Fort Østerlund, Silkeborg, Denmark | March | Lakes, river and forest, about 120m of climb a yard | |
Infinity Trail Les Terrils | Liévin, Pas-de-Calais, France | March or April | One of France's biggest fields, 180 starters in 2024 | |
Legends Backyard Ultra | Domein Beverdonk, Retie, Belgium | April | Fast, flat course; Wróbel won with 116 yards in 2025, a world record at the time | |
Trosa Ultra Backyard | Trosa, Sweden | May | One of Sweden's largest, up to 250 runners | |
Backyard Ultra de Terra Endins | Torelló, Catalonia, Spain | May | One of Spain's biggest, 145 starters in 2026 | |
Dolomites Last Loop | Toblach, South Tyrol, Italy | May | A backyard in the Dolomites, first held in 2026 | |
O-SEE Backyard Ultra | Lake Olbersdorf, Zittau, Germany | July | Bills itself as Germany's biggest backyard, 200 places | |
Last Soul Ultra | Fürstenau, Lower Saxony, Germany | August | 169 runners in 2026; Mark Dowdle won with 94 yards, a record on German soil | |
Backyard Ultra Sölvesborg | Sölvesborg, Sweden | August | Silver Ticket in 2026 | |
Cartagena Backyard Ultra | Cartagena, Murcia, Spain | September | Run by Club Mudos Trail, 150 plus runners |
The Last Soul Ultra is one to watch. It's growing into a 2027 World Series, with qualifiers in the USA, the UK and Australia and a final in Germany.
Sources: Marathon Handbook, Multiday Running, Runner's World DE, Yardlore.
Backyard ultra USA events
The USA has more backyard ultras than any other country, from invite-only elite fields to small local races, and Big's itself remains the spiritual home of the sport. At the 2026 World Team Championship, Team USA won the world title with 1,120 yards.
Backyard ultra | Where | Usually held | Why go | Organiser |
Queeny Backyard Ultra | Queeny Park, St. Louis, Missouri | March | A record 116 starters in 2026; Silver Ticket in 2026 | |
Capital Backyard Ultra | Meadowood, Lorton, Virginia | March | A small elite field built for big yards; Jennifer Russo set a women's world record of 74 yards here in 2023 | |
Ohio's Backyard Ultra | Lucasville, Ohio | March | A long-running former Silver Ticket race | |
Big's Backyard Ultra | Bell Buckle, Tennessee | October | The original, in Laz's backyard; World Individual Championship in odd years, by invitation | |
Big Tex Backyard Ultra | Stephen F. Austin State Park, San Felipe, Texas | November | Up to 300 places; the winner earns a dollar a mile | |
Barn Creek Backyard Ultra | Allardt, Tennessee | November | Up to 200 places in the Tennessee hills |
Sources: UltraRunning Magazine, Yardlore, Big's race calendar.
Backyard ultra Australia and New Zealand events
Australia produced the format's best known champion, Phil Gore, and some of its biggest fields. Herdy's in Perth drew 392 runners in March 2026 (Yardlore). Australian organisers Ultra Series also invented the frontyard ultra, the same format moved out of the countryside and into the middle of a city.
Backyard ultra | Where | Usually held | Why go | Organiser |
Herdy's Frontyard Ultra | Herdsman Lake, Perth, WA | March | One of the biggest backyards in the world, where Phil Gore set an Australian record in 2021 | |
Sydney's Backyard Ultra | St Ives Showground, Sydney, NSW | April and September | Two editions a year and up to 750 runners | |
Melbourne Frontyard Ultra | Studley Park, Melbourne, VIC | May | City-centre frontyard on the Yarra trails | |
No Time To Die Frontyard Ultra | Victoria Park, Adelaide, SA | May | The frontyard format in Adelaide's parklands | |
Dead Cow Gully Backyard Ultra | Runnymede, near Nanango, QLD | May or June | A working cattle farm where Gore ran 119 yards in 2025, a world record at the time | |
Red's Backyard Ultra | Kembla Grange, near Wollongong, NSW | August | Silver Ticket in 2026; hosted Australia's team at the 2026 World Team Championship | |
Birdy's Backyard Ultra | Lake Towerrinning, WA | August | The lakeside backyard where Phil Gore cut his teeth | |
Pigs Backyard Ultra (NZ) | Silverstream Reserve, Dunedin | February | A tough, hilly Otago course | |
Arrowtown Backyard Ultra (NZ) | Arrowtown, near Queenstown | November | An urban backyard on the Arrow River Trail, 150 runners |
New Zealand's backyard scene grew up around Sam Harvey, who ran 118 yards at Dead Cow Gully in 2025 and took the assist when Gore set his 119-yard record.
Backyard ultra events in Canada, South America and Asia
The backyard has spread far beyond its English-speaking roots, with affiliated races from Japan and Nepal to Brazil and Argentina.
Backyard ultra | Where | Usually held | Why go | Organiser |
Farm Olea Backyard Ultra | Turkey | March | Silver Ticket in 2026, now in its fifth edition | |
BC Backyard Ultra | Sicamous, British Columbia, Canada | April | Opens the Canadian season; Silver Ticket | |
Persistence Backyard Ultra | Arva, Ontario, Canada | August | Silver Ticket event | |
Vaca Backyard Ultra | Porto Alegre, Brazil | Late October or November | Course record 52 yards | |
San Fernando Backyard Ultra | San Fernando, Argentina | November | Bronze Ticket race | |
Last Samurai Standing series | Several Japanese prefectures | Various, including November | Small races feeding Japan's national list; Japan's Kazuhiro Kawahata ran 106 yards at Big's in 2025 |
Nepal and South Africa have growing scenes too. Backyard ULTRA Nepal is the proving ground for Team Nepal, and South Africa's Living Colour Backyard Ultra has been a Silver Ticket race.
Fancy a go yourself? Pick a race from the lists above, run a few backyard sessions in training, and find out where your limit is.
You have been warned.
Happy running
Andy
Backyard ultra FAQs
What does BYU mean in running?
BYU stands for backyard ultra, a last one standing race where runners complete a 4.167-mile (6.706km) loop every hour, on the hour, until only one runner is left. There is no set distance or finish line. The format was created by Lazarus Lake at Big's Backyard Ultra in Tennessee in 2011.
How long is a backyard ultra loop?
A backyard ultra loop, called a yard, is 4.167 miles (6.706km), and runners have one hour to complete it. Whatever is left of the hour is rest time before the next yard starts.
Why is a backyard ultra 4.167 miles?
A backyard ultra yard is 4.167 miles because 24 of them add up to exactly 100 miles. A runner who lasts 24 hours has covered 100 miles, and 48 hours is 200 miles.
How do you win a backyard ultra?
You win a backyard ultra by being the last runner to complete a yard on your own. Every other runner is recorded as a DNF, including the runner who stops last, who is credited with the assist. If nobody completes one more yard than everyone else, there is no winner.
How long does a backyard ultra last?
A backyard ultra lasts until only one runner can complete another yard, so it can finish in under a day or run for more than five days. The longest backyard ultra on record lasted 124 hours, at the World Team Championship in Retie, Belgium, in October 2026.
How much rest do you get in a backyard ultra?
In a backyard ultra your rest is whatever is left of the hour after you finish each 4.167-mile yard, usually 10 to 15 minutes. Most runners use it to eat, drink, change kit and sit down before the next yard starts on the hour.
What is the backyard ultra world record?
As of November 2026, the backyard ultra world record is 124 yards, about 516 miles (831km), set jointly by Belgians Merijn Geerts and Ivo Steyaert at the World Team Championship in Retie, Belgium, in October 2026. The previous record was 119 yards, set by Australia's Phil Gore at Dead Cow Gully in June 2025.
What is the women's backyard ultra world record?
As of November 2026, the women's backyard ultra world record is 95 yards (395.8 miles), set by Britain's Sarah Perry at Big's Backyard Ultra in Tennessee in October 2025. Perry's run also set the overall UK backyard record.
Who invented the backyard ultra?
The backyard ultra was invented by Lazarus Lake, real name Gary Cantrell, the creator of the Barkley Marathons. The first race, Big Dog's Backyard Ultra, was held on his land in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, in 2011 and named after his dog, Big.
How do you qualify for Big's Backyard Ultra?
You qualify for Big's Backyard Ultra by winning your country's national championship at the World Team Championship, or by posting one of the best results worldwide during the two-year qualifying window. The individual world championship at Big's is held in odd years, and the team championship in even years.
Where is Big's Backyard Ultra held?
Big's Backyard Ultra is held on Lazarus Lake's land in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, USA, every October. It hosts the World Individual Championship in odd years, and the US team runs its World Team Championship race there in even years.
Can a beginner run a backyard ultra?
Yes, a beginner can run a backyard ultra, because you only need to cover 4.167 miles in an hour to keep going. Most races have no qualifying standard, and many runners enter with a personal target, such as their first marathon distance at 7 yards or first 50K at 8 yards.
How many laps is 100 miles in a backyard ultra?
100 miles in a backyard ultra is 24 laps, called yards, which takes exactly 24 hours. A marathon is passed during the seventh yard, 50K during the eighth and 100km during the fifteenth.
What is the difference between a backyard ultra and a frontyard ultra?
A frontyard ultra uses exactly the same rules as a backyard ultra, but is held in a city centre rather than the countryside. The name was coined by Australian organisers Ultra Series for races such as Herdy's Frontyard Ultra in Perth.
How do I find a backyard ultra near me?
The best way to find a backyard ultra near you is the official race calendar at bigsbackyardultra.com/races, which you can filter by country and month. At the end of October 2026 it listed 666 affiliated races in 84 countries.
What is the biggest backyard ultra in the UK?
The Suffolk Backyard Ultra at Thetford Forest is the UK's best known backyard and one of its biggest, with 375 entries in 2025. The Rasselbock Backyard Ultra at Sherwood Pines also regularly sells out, with fields of around 160 runners.
What should I take to a backyard ultra?
Take a gazebo or tent, a chair, food you know you can eat at 3am, spare shoes and socks, warm layers, a head torch with spare batteries and a crew if you can. Your rest area is where you'll spend every spare minute, so set it up as close to the start corral as the race allows.
About the author: Andy Hood
Andy Hood is a Devon-based ultra runner and testicular cancer survivor. He was diagnosed in 2021, treated with surgery and chemotherapy, and has since completed multiple ultras and endurance challenges, including the Arc of Attrition, a 160km Tour du Mont Blanc and 24 hours on a treadmill.
He has used the backyard format in his own ultra training, and met its creator, Lazarus Lake, in Chamonix in 2026.
Andy is also a proud Runna ambassador and can offer new users a two-week free trial. Claim your free trial here, or use promo code ANDY2 in the app.
Sources: Big's Backyard Ultra, Yardlore, Marathon Handbook, Runner's World, UltraRunning Magazine, runABC and race organiser websites, all linked above. Event details checked 2 November 2026.
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