It started with a loop. Then another. And another.
Four days and 20 hours later—after 116 consecutive hours of running a 6.7 km loop every hour, on the hour—Poland’s Łukasz Wróbel shattered the Backyard Ultra world record, completing 116 “yards” (loops) and covering more than 777 kilometers (483 miles) in the process at the Legends Backyard Ultra in Retie, Belgium.
Wróbel’s historic performance was only possible thanks to a fierce duel with Belgian runner Jan Vandekerckhove, who bowed out after 115 yards. The two had run side-by-side for over two days after the rest of the field had dropped, pushing one another into the realm of the unthinkable.
In a Backyard Ultra, there is no official finish line; only the last one standing remains. This unique format has attracted runners seeking to test their limits in moments of extreme endurance.
Understanding the Backyard Ultra Format
If you’re unfamiliar with this rapidly growing aspect of ultrarunning, here’s how it works. A Backyard Ultra is a last-person-standing event invented by Gary Cantrell, known as Lazarus Lake, the creator of the infamous Barkley Marathons. In this race, participants must complete a 6.7056 km (4.167-mile) loop every hour on the hour. If a runner finishes a loop in 40 minutes, they receive 20 minutes of rest before the next loop. Complete it in 59 minutes, and they get only a minute of respite. If they miss the start of the next hour, they are disqualified.
This structure fosters a blend of ultra-distance endurance, sleep deprivation, mental fortitude, and pacing strategy. As ultrarunner and coach Maggie Guterl succinctly put it, “It’s the most democratic form of racing—everyone gets the same chance every hour. It’s just a matter of who can keep going.”
116 Hours of Grueling Competition
At the Legends Backyard Ultra, Wróbel and Vandekerckhove entered truly uncharted territory. After 60 hours, only a handful of runners remained. At the 100-hour mark, it boiled down to a two-man race.
Both athletes averaged around 43 minutes per loop, leaving them just under 17 minutes each hour for rest, nutrition, and brief naps. According to race organizers, 15 runners made it to the 50-hour mark but dropped off rapidly thereafter, highlighting the ferocious endurance curve that challenges even the most seasoned ultrarunners.
The Retie course is considered “runnable,” featuring flat, mostly dirt paths, ideal for backyard racing. However, as anyone who has participated in such events can attest, no course feels easy after 400 miles of relentless running and no sleep.
To contextualize Wróbel’s achievement: his 116-yard run broke the previous individual record of 110 yards set by Belgium’s Merijn Geerts in 2023. Even that was considered to be on the edge of human capability.
Belgium: A Powerhouse in Backyard Ultra Racing
While Wróbel took the record back to Poland, Belgium has emerged as the global epicenter for backyard racing. In the 2024 Backyard Team World Championships, a Belgian trio consisting of Geerts, Ivo Steyaert, and Frank Gielen collectively pushed the limits of endurance, with Geerts achieving the notable 110-yard mark solo.
Although Geerts and Gielen were not running in Retie—participating instead in the 6 Jours de France multi-day event—Steyaert was present on the course, supporting fellow competitors. This camaraderie is unique in this racing format, as the ultimate winner relies on the presence of another to spur them forward. Indeed, Wróbel owes a significant part of his record to Vandekerckhove’s relentless competition.
Thanks to their remarkable face-off, both Wróbel and Vandekerckhove have secured their places for the forthcoming Backyard Ultra World Championship, which takes place every two years at Big’s Backyard Ultra in Bell Buckle, Tennessee—the original event founded by Lazarus Lake himself. This October, they will join a cadre of the most determined athletes on Earth in what can arguably be termed the ultimate test of grit, patience, and psychological resilience.
As bold as Wróbel’s achievement is, it’s worth noting a cautionary statement from Lazarus Lake: “Someone always goes one more yard.” The intensity and unpredictability of the Backyard Ultra format mean that records are made to be broken, fostering an atmosphere of relentless challenge that pushes human limits ever further.
