Come and test your endurance and stamina in this unique race format. You’ll be running on beautiful trails in Kenmoir Farm near Ruretse.
The winner of the Botswana Backyard Ultra will win a free entry to this years Salt Pans Ultra Marathon.
We encourage you to bring a support gang of friends and family to help second your race. Let them feed you, provide you a chair between yards, rub your feet and shout encouragement!
Don’t miss out on this unforgettable experience! We hope to see you there!
“We run in the backyard ultra for many different reasons. We run because it is fun. We run to socialize with our friends (old and new). We run to go further than we have ever gone before….”
The Backyard Ultra is a race format where runners consecutively run 6,706 metres/6.7kms ( AKA “a yard”) in less than one hour, every hour, until there is only one person who completes a yard in time.
Get registered, get training, and get out there!
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A Backyard Ultra Explained
The concept is simple. Run 6.7 km every hour, on the hour. The aim is to complete as many yard as you can!
Each yard starts on the hour and must be completed in less than 60 minutes. When each yard is completed, the remaining time within the hour is typically used to recover for the next yard.
Everyone completes hourly yards until there is only one runner still going. They are the event winner! Assuming they finish the last yard in 60 minutes.
Is it only for experienced runners?
No. Running the BYU is about challenging yourself, having fun and having a go. It’s a social event so bring a support team to cheer, feed and push you on to finish one more yard.
The Botswana record is 94 kilometers or 14 hours (14 yards) held by Onneile Kealotswe ran at the Botswana BYU 2024.
The current World Record is 777 kilometers or 116 consecutive hours (4 days 20 hours) and is held by Polish ultrarunner Łukasz Wróbel completing 116 “yards” (loops) at the Legends Backyard Ultra in Retie, Belgium in May 2025.
Backyard Ultra
Individual World Championships 2024
We are an official partner and qualifier race for the Backyard Ultra Team World Championships in 2025. More details can be found here:
Rules
The rules of a backyard ultra are applied consistently in all races around the world. These rules are very simple, and have been set to ensure that all runners that may qualify for championships have qualified in similar circumstances.
These rules are non-negotiable, and not even the Race Director can over-rule them.
- Each yard will start ON the hour.
- There will be a whistle blown each minute for the 3 minutes leading up to the hour mark so that runners are aware of the start time approaching.
- Runners MUST be within the starting corral before the gong is hit.
- Any runner that is not in the starting corral when the gong is hit, will be disqualified.
- Except for the use of the restroom, competitors may not leave the course at any point until the yard is complete.
- Non-competitors are not allowed on the course, this includes eliminated runners.
- No personal aid. This includes anything from grabbing a drink bottle from someone to handing off some unwanted equipment. You must complete each yard with the same equipment that you left with, and must not meet with crew on the course. This also includes medical intervention. If you require urgent medical assistance, please contact the RD, and that will be arranged, however, you will be eliminated if you receive medical aid on the course. Aid will be available at the start/finish line if you need it.
- Each yard must be completed within the hour to be counted, including the final yard.
No artificial aids. Runners are not allowed to use any equipment that will assist them over others, this includes, but is not limited to running poles. Head torches are not included in this and are mandatory for any night yards.
- The winner is the last person to complete a yard.
- All others are technically a DNF
- Results of each runners achievements by time and distance will be available on the event website page the day after the event.
- In the instance that nobody goes any further than any other, there is not a tie, there is no winner.
- Head Torch – For all night yards, runners will be required to be wearing and using an operational head torch.
- Fluid Carrying – All runners must have the ability to carry a minimum of 250ml of fluid for each yard.