Yellow Belly Backyard Ultra - Race Report
The Inaugural Yellow Belly Backyard Ultra
I’ve raced plenty of ultra marathons over the past few years, but there was one brutal format I had yet to attempt: the infamous Backyard Ultra (BYU). For the uninitiated, a backyard ultra is a last person standing endurance event where runners must complete a 4.167 mile loop (or "Yard") every hour on the hour. You run until you can't, or until you fail to finish a lap within the 60 minute limit. No set finish line, no fixed distance, just grinding it out Yard after Yard.
I figured there was no better way to pop my cherry than by diving straight into an inaugural event, so I signed up for the very first Yellow Belly Backyard Ultra in the Lincolnshire Wolds. Here’s how it all went down.
Pre-Race Jitters
The start time was set for a very civilised 8:00am, but my brother Phil (who was also running) and I arrived nice and early at around 6:30am to get ourselves organised.
If you know anything about Lincolnshire, you know there’s no shortage of farmers' fields, and our base camp for the weekend was situated in a massive one. Upon arrival, the field was starting to come alive. Tents, gazebos and campervans were set up by runners who had camped over the night before. At the centre was a big green Scout tent acting as Race HQ and the registration point.
After picking up our race numbers, Phil and I got our personal recovery station (a.k.a gazebo) organised and our gear dialled in. At around 7:45am, the race directors gave a quick, sharp briefing and then it was time to hit the starting pen.
Standing there waiting for the bell to ring for Yard 1, nerves were running high. For me, it was purely the fear of the unknown. The BYU format is a total head game, and going into it without a predetermined finish line is a daunting psychological hurdle.
Yard 1: Hitting the Trails
The first Yard or two were spent simply familiarising ourselves with the course. The route was entirely trail, weaving through local farmland. I’ll be honest, it was surprisingly more difficult than I was expecting for a backyard ultra.
Instead of a flat, manicured loop, we were met with some punchy hills, sections of uneven ground, and sneaky chalk and flint rocks that progressively chipped away at my legs as the Yards went on. To add to the challenge, we were treated to some fierce winds that did us no favours, though thankfully, the sun stayed out for most of the day to keep morale high.
For the bulk of the daylight hours, I ran alongside Phil. We settled into a rhythm that allowed us to complete each lap with about 15 minutes to spare. It felt like the perfect buffer, just enough time to refuel, use the toilet, and briefly rest the legs before the bell rang for the next Yard.
The Best Kept Secret of the BYU Format
One of the things I loved about the backyard ultra format, and something I hadn't anticipated, was the social aspect. In a standard linear ultra, the field stretches out and you might run alone for hours. Here, because everyone is running the same loop at a much steadier pace, you end up chatting with so many different runners.
The atmosphere was incredibly friendly and positive. Speaking to people on the trail, I realised it was the first Backyard Ultra for a lot of runners out there, and an impressive number of them were crushing personal bests for distance.
Yard 12: Darkness Descends
By the time we hit Yard 12 (50 miles), the attrition rate was showing. A lot of runners had DNF’d. As darkness descended on the Wolds, the relentless wind finally seemed to subside a little, albeit not quite enough for my liking.
Going into Laps 13 and 14, my pace, which had been pretty consistent throughout the day, began to drop. My 15 min buffer was shrinking, meaning my crucial rest time between laps was getting uncomfortably short.
By Lap 15, there were only six of us left out on the course. Unfortunately, only five of us made it back within the 60 minute time limit. Ruth Jackson completed the lap but was timed out. According to strict BYU rules, she finished on 14 Yards. Ruth ran an incredible race, ticking off the Yards one by one all day without hesitation, and walked away as the 2nd female left standing.
Yard 16: My DNF
After finishing Lap 15, the reality of the course and repetitiveness started to take its toll on me. I lined up in the pen with the remaining runners and set off into the dark for Yard 16, but almost immediately realised my tank was empty. I made the decision to return to the start and bow out, officially DNFing and finishing as the 5th person left standing after completing 15 Yards.
With Phil still in the race, I threw on some warm layers and huddled around the campfire next to the starting pen with the race directors and a handful of other runners to watch the rest of the drama unfold.
All four remaining runners returned from Yard 16 within the time limit. However, Karen Wickens decided to call it a day here, officially making her the last female runner standing. Karen looked remarkably strong right to the end, and her positivity never wavered once.
Yards 17 & 18
Down to the final three, they slogged it out through the dark. After Yard 18, my brother Phil ultimately called it a night, putting in an incredible shift but leaving just two men: Martin and Steve.
The Final Showdown
Watching Martin and Steve battle it out was a masterclass in endurance. They both proved themselves to be incredibly strong runners with some serious grit, relentlessly pushing each other through the night. Seeing their headlamps appear out of the darkness each lap was like clockwork. Both runners set off on their 21st Yard, but Martin eventually returned to the start, officially DNFing and securing the Assist. This left Steve to complete the 21st Yard alone, taking the crown as the Last Man Standing.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the inaugural Yellow Belly Backyard Ultra was a fantastic event. For their first time hosting a BYU under the Yellow Belly banner, the race directors and volunteers did an outstanding job keeping everything running smoothly. The atmosphere on the day was incredible, the runners and volunteers were all super friendly and relentlessly positive, and it was absolutely fantastic seeing so many people achieving new PBs and pushing themselves to their limits.
The BYU is a completely unique format and I learned so much from this first attempt about pacing, the psychology of the starting pen, and how crucial fuelling strategies are when your rest breaks start to vanish. I’ll definitely be coming back again to beat my new personal record of 15 Yards.
If you’re looking for a raw backyard ultra that packs a bit of a punch and has a brilliant community vibe, I highly recommend checking out the Yellow Belly Backyard Ultra next year. It's a fantastic addition to the UK backyard ultra calendar, and I can't wait to watch it continue to grow and establish itself in the BYU scene.
Yellow Belly Backyard Ultra - 2026 Results
Steven Williams (21 Yards) - Winner🥇
Martin Rutherford (20 Yards) - Assist🥈
Karen Wickens (16 Yards) - Last Female Standing
