Backyard Ultra World Team Championships 2026: Start Time, Team UK and How to Watch
Written by Andy Hood · Ultra runner, cancer survivor and Runna ambassador
Published 10 October 2026
The Backyard Ultra World Team Championships 2026 start at 1pm UK time on Saturday 17 October, when 15 of Britain's best backyard runners set off on a 4.167-mile loop of Sherwood Pines Forest in Nottinghamshire.
An hour later they'll do it again. And again. And they'll keep doing it, every hour on the hour, until only one of them is left.
Top of the team sheet is Sarah Perry, the women's world record holder. And at the very same moment, teams in more than 70 countries will start the very same race on loops of their own.
It goes on for days, nobody knows when it will end, and you can follow the whole thing from your sofa. Here is how it works, who is running for Team UK and how to watch.
I've used the backyard format on training runs for ultras, and it's hard.
I naively thought it would be easy. Run about four miles at a relaxed pace, take 45 to 50 minutes over it, admittedly on a hilly route, then do it again. By lap 7 I was hurting. By lap 10 I was considering my life choices.
You have to try it.
In this guide
Backyard Ultra World Team Championships 2026 - the key facts
What | Detail |
Date | Saturday 17 October 2026 |
UK start time | 1pm BST, the same moment as 7am Central in Tennessee, where the US team runs at Big Dog's Backyard |
Team UK venue | Sherwood Pines Forest, Nottinghamshire |
UK host | |
Team size | 15 runners per country |
Countries | More than 70 |
Loop | 4.167 miles (6,706 m), once every hour |
Finish | When one runner completes a loop alone |
What is a backyard ultra? The rules explained
A backyard ultra, or BYU, is a last one standing race. Runners must complete a 4.167-mile (6.706km) loop every hour, on the hour, until only one of them is left.
The rules are simple, which is exactly what makes it so cruel.
Each loop is known as a yard, and you have one hour to run it. Get round in 45 minutes and you have 15 minutes to eat, change your socks or shut your eyes. Then the whistle goes and you're off again, ready or not.
Why 4.167 miles? Because 24 of them in 24 hours comes to exactly 100 miles. Of course it does.
Be in the start corral when the whistle goes, or you're out.
Finish every yard inside the hour, or you're out.
No help out on the loop. Your crew can only look after you between yards.
The winner is the last runner to complete a yard on their own.
Everyone else, however far they went, goes down as a DNF.
Yes, you read that right. Run 300 miles, be the second to last runner out there, and the results sheet says you did not finish.
If that sounds like the work of Lazarus Lake, the man behind the Barkley Marathons, that's because it is. It all started in 2011 at his Big Dog's Backyard Ultra in Tennessee.
I met Lake in Chamonix this year, at the world premiere of the documentary about him.
He has a mind that pushes limits, and he wants other people to find theirs. The backyard ultra and the Barkley Marathons are the opportunities he hands them.
This isn't about you against anyone else. This is you against you.
Lake was an interesting guy to chat with. 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.
How the Backyard Ultra World Team Championships work - one yard, one point
The Backyard Ultra World Team Championships are a national team race held every two years. Each country fields 15 runners, every country runs at the same time on its own course, and every completed yard scores a point.
The world championships take it in turns. One year it's an individual title, the next it's a team one, and 2026 is a team year.
Every country starts at exactly the same moment, each on its own course. So while Team UK head out into a Nottinghamshire afternoon, the Americans are setting off at 7am in Tennessee.
The scoring could not be simpler. Every yard completed by any runner is a point for the team. If all 15 finish ten yards, that's 150 points, and the country with the most points is world team champion.
There's a race inside the race too. The last runner standing in each country is crowned national champion, and the top 50 national champions earn a place at the 2027 individual world championships.
The clever bit is what that does to the runners. Every team-mate still out there is another point, every single hour, so the strongest have every reason to look after the weakest.
Belgium won the first team championship in 2020 and won it again in 2024, when Merijn Geerts, Ivo Steyaert and Frank Gielen ran 110 yards together.
That's 458 miles. In one go.
Team UK backyard ultra 2026 - the 15 runners at Sherwood Pines
Team UK's 15 runners, led by women's world record holder Sarah Perry, race at Sherwood Pines Forest in Nottinghamshire. The UK race is hosted for the first time by Rasselbock Running. Last time out, in 2024, it was Thetford Forest.
Sherwood Forest, you'll notice. With a surname like Hood I consider it my ancestral home, so I have even more of an interest this year.
The team is 15 strong. Four got in by winning a Silver Ticket qualifying race, and the other 11 are the next best on the national list, ranked on their best result between 16 August 2024 and 15 August 2026. The official roster page has every country's team.
Britain has form here. Sarah Perry won the UK race in 2024 with 59 yards (245.8 miles), one yard ahead of Alex Sweet. A year later she went to Tennessee and ran 95 yards, a women's world record that took the overall UK record of 87 with it.
Both are back for 2026.
Here are the 15, ranked by their best result in the qualifying period.
# | Runner | Best yards | Qualified via | Where and when |
1 | Sarah Perry | 95 | At-large list | Big Dog's Backyard world championship, October 2025 |
2 | Dave Phillips | 65 | At-large list | Suffolk Backyard Ultra Festival, June 2026 |
3 | Iain Bethune | 64 | At-large list | Last One Standing Florence Court, June 2026 |
4 | Sam Mayhew | 64 | At-large list | Suffolk Backyard Ultra Festival, June 2026 |
5 | Matthew Blackburn | 63 | At-large list | Big Dog's Backyard world championship, October 2025 |
6 | Jay Stapley | 61 | At-large list | Red On Backyard Ultra, May 2026 |
7 | Tal Taran | 61 | At-large list | Legends Backyard Belgium, April 2026 |
8 | George Jones | 60 | At-large list | Red On Backyard Ultra, May 2026 |
9 | Rob Mallett | 59 | At-large list | Scouts Honour Backyard Ultra, August 2026 |
10 | Alex Sweet | 58 | Silver Ticket | The Highlander Backyard, July 2026 (won with 44) |
11 | Andrew Miles | 58 | Silver Ticket | God's Own Backyard Ultra, May 2026 |
12 | James Luxton | 58 | At-large list | Scouts Honour Backyard Ultra, August 2026 |
13 | Andy Wilson | 57 | At-large list | God's Own Backyard Ultra, May 2026 |
14 | Phil Marshall | 46 | Silver Ticket | Portland Pig Backyard Ultra, May 2026 |
15 | Alun Rose | 29 | Silver Ticket | Longbridge 100 Backyard Ultra, June 2026 (won with 25) |
This is a much deeper team than last time. Eight of the 15 have gone to 60 yards (250 miles) or beyond. In 2024 the best British total was 59.
And Matthew Blackburn, sitting fifth on that list? He's the man whose UK record Perry broke.
Six reserves are on standby should anyone pull out: Kieron Day, Charlie Steward, Wayne Smith, George Rickwood, Elizabeth Gatherer and Darryl Tollett.
How to watch the Backyard Ultra World Team Championships 2026 - live stream and key times
The Backyard Ultra World Team Championships 2026 will be live streamed, with a world stream and a separate UK stream promised. So the good news is you don't need to be stood in a forest in Nottinghamshire to follow this.
Live stream: the Backyard Ultra YouTube channel carried last year's world championship. Rasselbock say there will be both a world stream and a UK stream this year.
Team UK updates: the Rasselbock UK championships page, plus their Instagram and Facebook.
Teams and results: the official Backyard Ultra site has every national roster and past results.
So I hear you cry, nobody can watch a race that goes on for days, although it's a good reason to take a few days off work, or turn the Teams status to Out Of Office. Best advice is to dip in and out, and these are the moments worth setting an alarm for. All times are UK time.
Yards | Distance | Completed by | Why it matters |
24 | 100 miles | 1pm Sunday 18 October | A hundred miles inside a day |
48 | 200 miles | 1pm Monday 19 October | Two nights without real sleep |
59 | 245.8 miles | Midnight Monday into Tuesday | The winning UK total in 2024 |
110 | 458.3 miles | 3am Thursday 22 October | The best ever at a team championship, set by three Belgians in 2024 |
My advice? Have a look on Saturday afternoon while everyone is fresh. Then come back on Monday. It will be a very different race.
Sherwood Pines spectator guide - go along, or run your own yards
Spectators are welcome at Sherwood Pines Forest (Kings Clipstone, Nottinghamshire, NG21 9JL), where Team UK start at 1pm on Saturday 17 October. Rasselbock are promising food and coffee vans, a big screen showing the streams and leaderboards, and talks with backyard runners and race directors.
There's a hot dog eating competition too. Of course there is.
Here's the bit that matters. The UK race has no entry fee and no outside funding, so the organisers are raising the money themselves. There are three ways you can chip in.
Pre-event backyard run: run one or two yards on the official course from 10am, before the team starts. Pay what you can, minimum £15. Registration opens at 9:15am.
Virtual backyard: run your own yards wherever you are, at the same time as the team.
Team merch and auctions: a team tee or hoodie from £25, or a bid on items including a book signed by Lazarus Lake. The auctions close at 10am on Thursday 22 October.
Backyard ultra world records - what they are chasing
The backyard ultra world record is 119 yards, or 495.8 miles, set by Phil Gore of Australia in June 2025. Here are the three numbers to know when the yards start climbing.
Record | Yards | Distance | Holder | Set |
World record | 119 | 495.8 miles | Phil Gore, Australia | Dead Cow Gully, June 2025 |
Team championship best | 110 | 458.3 miles | World Team Championship, October 2024 | |
Women's world record | 95 | 395.8 miles | Sarah Perry, UK | Big Dog's Backyard Ultra, October 2025 |
Yes, that top one is very nearly 500 miles.
Why a backyard ultra is so hard - running through the night
I've run into the night and through the night many times. On long ultras, more recently pacing a friend through his first hundred, and on my own 24 hour treadmill run in a cold gym in January.
The hours after midnight are tough. Your core temperature drops, and your natural rhythms are getting your body ready for sleep at the very moment you are demanding peak performance from it.
Now imagine a backyard. You finish a lap with 10 to 15 minutes in hand, and you sit there getting ready for the next one. It's 2am. Your body is demanding sleep, arguing with you that this is the time for it, and you have to be strong enough in the mind to argue back.
This is a race format that demands incredible respect.
Watch it.
If you want the science behind those hours, read the blog Understanding circadian rhythms and the circadian low, and my case study of the 2am to 6am performance drop from that treadmill run.
Fancy a go yourself? Rasselbock run open backyard ultras at Stapleford Hall in July and Hardwick Hall in September 2027. At their Sherwood Pines race in 2025, 72% of the field had never run one before.
You have been warned.
For more ideas, in the blog article The Best Ultra Marathons in the UK I run through the options. And if a backyard would be your first step into ultras, my first 50K training plan is the place to start.
Happy running
Andy
Backyard Ultra World Team Championships Frequently Asked Questions
When do the Backyard Ultra World Team Championships 2026 start?
They start on Saturday 17 October 2026 at 1pm UK time. Every country starts at the same moment, which is 7am in Tennessee, the home of the format.
How to watch the Backyard Ultra World Team Championships 2026?
The championships are live streamed, with a world stream and a separate UK stream promised for 2026. Last year's world championship was shown on the Backyard Ultra YouTube channel, and the Rasselbock Running UK championships page is the place to check for Team UK links.
Where is Team UK running in the Backyard Ultra World Team Championships 2026?
Team UK are at Sherwood Pines Forest in Nottinghamshire. The race is hosted by Rasselbock Running and spectators are welcome.
Who is in Team UK for the 2026 Backyard Ultra World Team Championships?
Team UK is Sarah Perry, Dave Phillips, Iain Bethune, Sam Mayhew, Matthew Blackburn, Jay Stapley, Tal Taran, George Jones, Rob Mallett, Alex Sweet, Andrew Miles, James Luxton, Andy Wilson, Phil Marshall and Alun Rose. Four qualified by winning Silver Ticket races and 11 came through the national at-large list.
How far is a backyard ultra loop?
A yard is 4.167 miles (6,706 m) and you have one hour to run it. Whatever is left of the hour when you finish is your rest before the next one starts.
Why is a backyard ultra 4.167 miles?
A backyard ultra (BYU) yard is 4.167 miles because 24 of them add up to 100 miles. Divide 100 miles by 24 hours and you get 4.167 miles an hour, so a runner who lasts a full day has covered exactly 100 miles. In metric that is 6.706km a yard.
How do you win a backyard ultra?
You win a backyard ultra by being the last runner to complete a yard on your own. Everyone else is recorded as a DNF, including the runner with the second most yards, who is known as the assist.
Who won the last Backyard Ultra World Team Championships?
Belgium won the last Backyard Ultra World Team Championships in 2024. Merijn Geerts, Ivo Steyaert and Frank Gielen each ran 110 yards (458.3 miles), the furthest anyone has gone at a team championship. Belgium also won the first edition in 2020.
What is the backyard ultra world record?
The world record is 119 yards (495.8 miles), set by Phil Gore of Australia in June 2025. The women's world record is 95 yards (395.8 miles), set by Britain's Sarah Perry in October 2025.
About the author: Andy Hood, ultra runner and cancer survivor
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, a 170-mile run he calls Running WestwardHo! 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 uses his running to promote early cancer awareness and self-checking. He has raised over £28,000 for cancer and mental health charities, and his challenges have been covered by BBC News, BBC Radio Devon and The Mirror. You can find that coverage on his press and PR page, read his testicular cancer story or get in touch.
Andy is also a proud Runna ambassador and can offer new users a two-week free trial. Claim your free trial here, or download the app and use promo code ANDY2. This is an affiliate link, which supports the blog and his cancer charity work.
Sources: Big's Backyard Ultra official site, Rasselbock Running, UltraSignup and iRunFar, all linked above. Team UK roster checked 10 October 2026.
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