Big Backyard Ultra World Team Championship 2024
2024
The best UK backyard runners from all around the world compete to see who is the best individual in their own country and which countries team is best at Backyard running.
The individual winner (Last one Standing) goes on to compete next year with a guaranteed entry to Big’s Backyard Individual World Championship’s in October 2025 and compete against the best Backyarders in the world.
The Country (Team) with the most total yards will be crowned the best team at Backyard Racing and have bragging rights for 2 years until the competition comes around again.
Everyone on the team adds to the total and to win the team must have a higher total than all the other teams, this is likely to be the last team standing but it is possible for a team that is not the last one standing to win the team prize as their team runners all scored high enough for their total to be the highest.
Everyone’s best counts towards the teams overall score. If everyone did just one more yard then the team would get 15 more to the total.
Selection for the team
In order to be selected for the team you must have completed a Backayrd race anywhere in the world between August 15th 2022- August 15th 2024 and be listed in the top 15 who are eligible. If anyone is not available we slide down the list of available At Large runners in order of next highest yards.
To be eligible you must be a UK citizen or permanent resident and be able to evidence that.
We invite the top 15 to the team and slide down the list if someone is unable to take part, declines the invitation or is unreachable after several attempts are made.
Current Team List as of the August 15th cutoff – Please see the team page (button above) for details and changes.
Date
October 19th 2024 – Race start at 1pm UK time – (7am Central Standard Time in the USA)
Timings
The individual Race starts at exactly 1pm and will finish when only one person is left who can complete a lap (yard) on their own within the time limit of 1 hour.
The team event finishes when only one team is left and their race continues, teams must have two runners continuing or their last runner completing the final winning lap to be in the race. Teams cannot continue with only 1 runner.
Event Timings Saturday 15th.
8am – 11am. Access to the field for setup – Car parked in car park – No vehicles on the field
11am – 12pm. Registration and briefing including numbers and shirts/kit issue.
1pm Race Start
? Race Finish – Is 100 hours possible?
Location
Thetford Forest, High Lodge, Brandon IP27 0AF
The event field is located here just past the Oak Lodge which is signed from the main area or follow signs to the Heritage Trail.
The car park will open at 8am for access to the event, it’s a short walk to the event field (see below map) and you will need to carry or trolley your kit to the field. There will be no crew/runner vehicles allowed onto the field.
Parking is camera and barrier controlled, we have arranged a flat fee of £10 to cover any vehicle that comes to the event for the duration of the vehicles stay between the start and finish of the event. Visitors/Spectators coming and going during the event may need to pay the regular daily rates charged by high lodge. We will confirm parking arrangements closer to the event.
Route
The route is a single loop of forest footpaths and almost flat apart from one main hill and small undulations. Underfoot is mostly flat sandy soil and drains well even after heavy rainfall, its mostly tree lined so sheltered from the wind also. It’s mostly wide gravel tracks and hard packed dirt with no gates or bottlenecks so should be great for space to spread out and run at your own pace.
There is a video of the route in the media section at the bottom of this page, below is the route map.
The course is exactly 6.705km as measured by several different GPS devices with an average of all three on several runs taken. There is minimal elevation on each loop.
Checkpoints
There is only one aid location and that is at the start/finish of each loop, no aid or supporters allowed onto the course to assist runners in any way. This includes moral support and checking on tired runners later in the race, you risk a DQ for your runner if you go out onto the course to see them during the race.
The race will provide the following for the runners, including those who have crews.
Hot water, Basic sweet and savory snacks, Cold water, Tea and coffee, pot noodles and similar foods like porridge pots, cereal bars. There will be options for Vegan, Vegetarian and Gluten Free (if needed).
Crews are expected to supply own foods and snacks, there is a cold and hot water supply on site provided by us and this can be used by crews also.
No cooking, heating of water or Stoves/BBQ’s allowed on the event field, we will provide hot water for crews to heat food with. This is a safety rule as it’s a dry forest area to prevent fires in the forest.
There will be an area for runners without crews to place bags and chairs under a shelter right beside the finish of the loop.
Facilities
We will have 2 portaloos on site and water and additional toilets will be available in the main toilet block by the car park, crews are requested to use the onsite toilets rather than the portaloos where possible.
Please take your rubbish home with you as we have no bins in the park and we do not want to overload the park bins, please bring bin bags for this purpose. We can not dispose of all the event rubbish plus your personal rubbish.
There will be shelter to stand under between loops if it’s wet and you will have space to camp and set up gazebo’s and tents on the camping area next to the start line.
Timing/Tracking
The race will have timings provided by our timing partner Timing Monkey and we will update the timing link just before the race.
The race will also have a live stream from the start/finish of the loop provided by our media team from Film My Run via the link below.
Link will be added before the race
Kit List
There is no specific Kit List for this event but clothing appropriate to the weather and common decency are required, Headtorches must be used in the hours of darkness (7pm loop onwards) and any requests by the Race Director for the wearing of headtorches or appropriate clothing must be complied with at risk of DQ if not followed.
Entry
Entry is free and by invitation only, all costs are subsidised by our summer Sufffolk Back Yard Ultra event, If you wish to support the event then come along and enter that race.
There will be a small registration fee of £50 on entry to cover team kit.
If you wish to sponsor the event or partner with us then please get in touch.
FAQ’s
Can I use walking/running poles?
No, poles or any other physical aids are not allowed.
Can I have support out along the course?
No the only assistance you can have is between loops at the race HQ
Can we bring a BBQ or light a fire on the field?
No
Can we bring a generator for powering phones etc?
No we try to limit poolution and noise as it’s a nature reserve
How far from the car park to the race field?
About 150-200m
How far is the tent area from the start area?
About 10-50m depending on where you pitch your shelter.
Is there any food onsite?
There is a local cafe onsite during opening but you need to plan to bring your own supplies or go to nearby stores.
Are dogs allowed on the field?
No, People have allergies, Noise of dogs on a nature reserve disturbs wildlife and Waste issues all mean we can’t have dogs on the field.
Rules
Nobody likes rules but we have to have some, here are the basic rules for this event.
You must be at the start on time to start the event, if you are late you are DNS.
There is a start area that will be marked and you must be standing inside it when the lap starts, if you are not you will be DNF. There will be a whistle blown at 3,2 and 1 minute before the start of your wave so no excuses for not being there on time.
You must complete each loop before the clock reaches the next hour, for example 9:59:59 is ok 10:00:00 is DNF
You must start each loop and cross the line within 30 seconds of the start whistle or you are DNF
You cannot visit your tent or be assisted in anyway after you start a loop or you will be DQ’d. This includes handed or handing off bottles or food or kit. Whatever you start the loop with you must finish with, no dumping kit on the loop or collecting dumped kit.
To be the Winner you must start and finish a solo loop that no-one else completes. If someone refuses to start a final loop you must do one clear solo loop to win. If 2 of you are out on a loop and one is timed out then you win without doing an extra one.
Only loops completed within the time limit count for distance or time.
The decision of the Race Director, Lindley is Final.
Getting stuff from your tent, having a wee or eating are all out of your time and the event continues no matter what. If you are not at the start on time you are out.
No support on the course of any kind, physical or emotional. If your crew or supporters go out onto the course at any point to support you or spectate then you risk DQ.
Simple Rules Simple Race
Results
Results links will be provided here after the race.
Media
Highlight video of the course below as I checked it out on my bike for one of my measuring runs. It should show the terrain and trail conditions expected.
Photos from the last running of the event.
