The SRC Presents: A Backyard Ultra took place on December 13th and 14th at Blydenburgh County Park in Hauppauge, NY. I had signed up for this race several months ago after a recommendation from a friend, who had run the race last year, and who would be running it again. This was going to be my second “A” race of the year after the Vermont 100 in July, and I had big aspirations going in.
For those that are not familiar, a Backyard Ultra is unlike
any other type of ultra and is effectively a “Last Man Standing” race. Rather
than being a set distance, instead, competitors complete a 4.167 Mile loop,
called a “Yard”, every hour, on the hour, until only one runner remains. For
example, if you complete the yard in fifty minutes, you then have ten minutes
to rest, fuel, or do whatever you like, but you must be back in the starting
corral at the top of the hour, no exceptions. Fail to be back in the starting corral
or take longer than an hour to complete a yard and you are out. Why 4.167 Miles,
you ask? With this lap distance, every twenty-four hours represents one hundred
miles. This unique concept was pioneered by Gary Cantrell, otherwise known as
Lazarus Lake, in 2011 who puts on the annual Big’s Backyard Ultra in Bell
Buckle, Tennessee, which serves as the “World Championship” for this race
format.
 |
| Pre-Race Photo with Skyler and Mike |
Going into the race, I did have some experience with
Backyard Ultra’s. I first took a stab back in 2020, running the Quarantine
Backyard Ultra for 10 Yards (41.67 Miles), and then took additional attempts at
the Mountain Lakes Backyard Ultra in South Salem, NY, which was put on by Steep
Endurance, where I completed 13 Yards (54.16 Miles) in 2021 and 12 Yards (50.00
Miles) in 2023. However, I had much loftier goals for this race; I wanted to
put myself in contention for “Last Man Standing”, no matter the distance. I
thought that it would take somewhere between 27-30 Yards. Competition going
into the race was going to be stiff with defending champion and NY-native
Jordan Buck returning. Jordan is an incredible runner who just ran 14:22 for
100 Miles at Tunnel Hill in November and earlier this year was a part of the
Old Glory Ultra Relay, where he, along with 11 other veterans, began a coast‑to‑coast
relay from San Diego, CA, to Washington, DC carrying a single American
flag to raise $1 million for Veteran health and wellness. In addition to
Jordan, there were multiple other runners from the previous year who had
reached 24 Yards, or 100 Miles.
Much of the week leading up to the race was spent gathering
gear and fuel. A Backyard Ultra is almost as much about your “post-loop” setup
as it is about the actual running, and for a race taking place in the middle of
December, the setup was going to be crucial. Thankfully, I would be sharing a
camp with my two great friends, Skyler Silsdorf and Mike Skluth, who would both
be running as well and hoping to put up some big miles.
 |
| Race Start! |
I arrived at Blydenburgh County Park at about 6:45 AM on race morning and quickly went to work on pulling together my setup. Skyler, Mike, and I would have a mostly enclosed canopy tent, which would provide much needed relief from the elements, as well as a smaller sun shelter that I had brought. I would also get the benefit of some incredible crew members for a large portion of the race, Skyler’s family, who lived 15 minutes from the start. The next hour was a blur as I organized my supplies and mentally got into race mode. We spent a couple minutes chatting with Jordan Buck, and another friend Spencer Satterlee, before it was almost time to start, which would be at 8AM sharp. As the minutes ticked down, I reflected a lot on what I wanted out of this day and this race. My motto for this race was taken from my favorite Stephen King book, The Long Walk, which has incredibly parallels to the Backyard Ultra format and was “Live a little longer. Live a little longer. Live a little longer.” I lined up on the start line; 227 souls in total, embarking on a race with no finish line, as the final countdown began.
And then we were off.
The Day Loops
 |
| Early Loop Finish |
There is no definitive winning strategy in a Backyard Ultra
per say, though there are several prevailing schools of thoughts. The two most
common seem to be targeting the 45–50-minute Yard, and then the 50–55-minute Yard,
requiring a tradeoff between quicker pace and more rest time or slower pace and
less time in between loops. My goal for today was to settle in to consistent
46–49-minute loops, not so fast as to trash the legs, but not so slow as to
feel rushed in between loops. We would be beginning on the Day Loop. It is very
common for Backyard Ultras to have a “Day Loop”, which is typically more trail,
as well as a “Night Loop”, which is more roads or carriage trails. Before the
start, Skyler had made me a little bit antsy with his experience from last
year, as the single-track trail bottled up early and he was reduced to a walk,
so I made the decision to get out a little bit quicker on the quarter mile road
stretch before we turned right into the single-track trail. The Day Loop was a
nice mix of single track and bridle path trails, some root, sand sections and
fallen trees with two wooden foot bridge crossings and approximately 135 feet of
elevation change. It was very runnable.
 |
| With Mike "The Alley Cat" Skluth |
I was glad to be able to experience the first loop largely
on my own as it allowed me to settle my nerves and also feel out the course,
figuring out where the walking spots would be and mentally benchmarking my time
at various landmarks to track for future laps. I ended up completing the first
loop a little bit faster than anticipated in 45:35, with Skyler and Mike coming
in about five minutes back. Mike joined me for the next lap as we talked about
anything and everything, coming through at 45:15. The next lap I was alone
again, as I was starting to get familiar with the people around me taking the
same approach with their own strategy. The weather was dry and comfortable for
mid-December with minimal wind, a far cry from the conditions to come later on.
I do run quite cold, so I kept on my fleece lined New Balance jacket and beanie
but subsequently switched into my sweatshirt and HOKA hat beginning on the
third lap. Underneath I had a comfortable Vuori base layer on and then a long-sleeved
tech shirt on over that. I was not warm necessarily, but felt comfortable as
the goal was to minimize sweating so as to not get cold in between loops.
 |
| All Smiles at Yard 6 |
Moving back into Lap 4, 5, and 6, I was rejoined by Mike,
with whom I would spend most of the day. We were clicking off steady 47-minute
laps, which seemed to be the sweet spot for me. It was around this time that I
had decided to grab my handheld bottle to take with me on loops. The prevailing
strategy for the most part seemed to be that people were foregoing bottles or
vests during the loop. I had figured I wanted to avoid a vest, so that I could
more easily change layers, and avoid a handheld bottle generally so I would not
risk soaking my hands in the cold. However, the cold weather definitely saturates
your thirstiness, and I was not taking in nearly enough water, so I grabbed my
bottle, mixed with Tailwind, for a few laps. Mike and I were passing the time
cracking the same jokes at the same spots each lap, talking to a couple
different people, and coming up with nicknames for each other.
It wasn’t until about Yard 8 and Yard 9, which were the
first real milestones, that we finally started to see the field atrophy a bit, as
Mike and I gradually saw the pack thin out up front as we went from coming in for
the loops in about 25-30th to about 10-15th. A cool
concept, the race was giving out stickers at certain laps of the race, which
would later fit into your race medal. After Yard 7 (29.16 Miles), we received
our “Beyond a Marathon” sticker and after Yard 9 (37.50 Miles) we received our
“Chasing the Sun” sticker, indicating that we were about to switch to the Night
Loop. After Yard 9, the 227-person field had been whittled down to 126.
The Night Loops
 |
| First Night Loop at Yard 8 |
The race doesn’t really begin until the Night Loops, and some would argue that the race doesn’t start until much later. The goal was to get through the Day Loops with as little damage as possible to the legs, and other than some early low points around Yards 6-7, I was feeling very strong. Fueling thus far was also going well, as I subsisted primarily on pizza, chips, pretzels, as well as the more classic fueling of Tailwind, Gu Gummies, and Sis Isotonic Gels (which were fantastic for this format). Additionally, Skyler’s family who had been out all day with us thus far had brought in a heater hooked up to a propane tank as well as a burner and had heated up tomato soup and canned potatoes for us. To this point, Skyler and Mike also both seemed strong as we prepared for the shift to the Night Loops, putting on our required safety gear, including headlamps and blinking vests, as I also switched from my HOKA Speedgoat 5’s to my HOKA Clifton 9’s.
The Night Loop was a mix of road and bridle path trails, with some sand sections, and approximately 140 feet of elevation change. It was essentially a straight line with two different U-turns at each end. I thoroughly enjoyed the Night Loop, and am probably in the minority, but I liked the monotony and predictability of the asphalt, as my legs felt much better switching into a new pair of Clifton 9’s. The first third of Night Loop was all on asphalt as we then moved back down onto the sandy bridle trail, which was a slight net downhill to the next turnaround. It was definitely a lot more fun to hit the turnaround and to get tabs on who was behind you and how they looked. It was also really the first time that I got to consistently see Skyler, Jordan, and Spencer on each loop and it was refreshing to be able to talk to them in passing and shoot out encouragement each lap. The third mile of the Night Loop, heading up a consistent slight incline was the worst part of the loop, but also a good chance to walk and reset. It was hard to say for sure whether the night loop was any faster than the Day Loop, though I will say while the elevation was minor, I definitely felt it more on the Night Loop.
 |
| Before the Storm |
Mike and I clicked off Yards 10-12 like a metronome,
consistently coming in in the low 47-minute range. We were now coming up on the
next big sticker milestone which was Yard 12 (50.00 Miles), and which
undoubtedly would have a number of drops. It was at this point that Mike was
also beginning to reach the end of his day. He had come in with a target goal
of 12 Yards and had been running so strong all day. I think Skyler and I gave
him so much shit about stopping on a milestone distance that we got him out
there for one more lap as Mike finished his day at Yard 13, with 54.16 Miles. By
Yard 13, the field had truly begun to atrophy as 94 runners had completed 12
Yards, but only 47 went out for another lap with the field being culled further
to only 35 runners after Yard 13.
If I had to identify the singular point where the race
really “began” for me it was here, at Yard 14. Setting off for the first time
alone without Mike, whom I had run with for the vast majority of the thirteen hours, was a
bit jarring. It was also at this point that the weather had turned. Throughout
the week leading up to the race, there had been a possibility of some wintery
mix, but the forecast had oscillated constantly, and it was unpredictable as to
what the actual weather would be. At 9PM though, as we lined up for Yard 14,
the snow began in earnest.
Yard 14 and Yard 15 were some of the lowest points for me. There is something about the 50-60 Mile range, especially in a hundred miler, and even more so in a Backyard Ultra, that the finish just feels “far away”. It was at this point that I made a complete reset of my gear as well, replacing my base layer, tech long sleeve, and putting my New Balance fleece lined jacket back on as well as a Nike Trail rain jacket. I got to share a portion of these loops with Skyler, who had been picking it up the last few yards and was looking really strong.
 |
| Last Loop with Mike; Yard 13 (Mile 54.17) |
Surprisingly, there were minimal drops through Yard 15 (Mile
62.5) which represented the 100K mark. Maybe not so surprising, as I feel like
nearly every person I talked to said they were aiming for at least 100 Miles. After
Yard 15, Skyler came in and said he was calling his race. The Backyard Ultra is
one of those race where it’s easy until it’s not easy. Jordan, Spencer and I
rallied Skyler to not “quit in the chair” and to get back out there for one
more yard. We were successful, but Skyler ended up missing the time cutoff,
ending his race. By the end of Yard 16 we were down to only 22 runners
remaining. It was at this point that Skyler and his family, who were lifesavers
throughout the day, packed up their gear and were going to head home.
Thankfully, they generously left me with the canopy tent, extra chairs, and a light,
and would come back in the morning to pick them up.
Yard 17 featured one of the last milestones “After Midnight”
as the 22 of us set off into Sunday morning . In reviewing the results
post-race, Yard 17 and Yard 18 looked to be where the race really shifted and a ton
of damage was done to a strong field, including multiple 100 Mile finishers
last year. Conditions just continued to worsen and worsen as snow was beginning
to accumulate on the road and trail. My shoes and socks were already starting
to get very wet, but thankfully the temperature was hovering right around
freezing and the wind was minimal to nonexistent. After Yard 18 (75.00 Miles),
our field had been reduced further to only 12 runners. It was honestly shocking
lining up in the corral at this point and seeing the numbers reduced to so few.
I wasn’t expecting a tremendous number of additional drops from here to Yard
24, but still, I had thought more of the field would remain at this point.
Yards 19 and 20 were more low points for me as I continued
to battle the elements, the sleep exhaustion, and some awful heartburn that was
significantly hampering my ability to take in calories. However, I was still
moving incredibly well, splitting in the low 47-minute range. At this point, I
was repeating my mantra to myself every single lap, “Live a little longer.” I
still had Jordan Buck out there who locked fresh and effortless as well as
Spencer Satterlee, who was aiming for 24 Yards, and who had been consistently
coming in the mid-50s each lap. Three
more souls dropped at Yard 19 and Spencer was an unfortunate casualty at Yard
20 as he came in over the cutoff, as our field was whittled down to the final
eight remaining out of the 227-runner starting field. Everyone remaining looked
incredibly strong as I was consistently coming through about mid pack and
nearly everyone was in before 50 minutes.
 |
| Finish of Yard 24! |
We were deep into the morning at 4AM as Yard 21 began and the storm was reaching its crescendo. By now, the road had been reduced to a slushy, slippery mess and the trail was blanketed with inches of powder. It was absolutely surreal to be running in these conditions in the middle of the night and reflecting on how this felt like a completely different race from earlier in the day, one that only a small minority of the original field was still around to experience. I had switched to carrying my bottle with me again as I was really struggling with calories at this point, only able to get down about half a Sis Isotonic Gel at a time and having to dilute my Tailwind mixture further just to be able to drink it. Not to mention, my shoes, gloves, socks, and chest were all completely soaked at this point. It was this yard where I made the decision in my head that Yard 24 and 100 Miles was going to be the end of my day (or night rather). And it was honestly a relief. My legs felt surprisingly strong and my pace was not slipping, but the lack of sleep, inability to put down calories, and drenched gear was grinding me down. There were several runners, including Jordan Buck and Pavlo Li that still looked incredibly strong, and I also knew it would likely take several more yards on the Day Loop to win it and I felt like I didn’t have the gear or the willpower to wade through the six inches of powder that had been accumulating on the loop overnight.
 |
| Second Belt Buckle Secured! |
Yard 22 brought the advent of the 90+ Mile mark, as this was
the first point for me where the race really and truly felt like it was
approaching its culmination, and was my slowest lap of the day in over 49
minutes. By now, the interloop period had become worse than actually running,
as I sat in my chair, staring blankly ahead, actually hoping for the minutes to
count down before we were back on the start line. However, Yard 23 was a wave
of relief, as the sun was finally beginning to come up by the end of the loop,
as I treated this as the “final yard” with the last one being the “victory yard”.
Finally, our group of eight, who had forged together through the deepest parts of the night, set off on Yard 24, as for the first time all race, the Night Loop was illuminated. This lap was honestly surreal and otherworldly as I reflected on the last 24 hours spent running around the same county park over and over again in Long Island. I continued to pass the same landmarks that had greeted me the last 15 hours as I got a final boost of energy at the thought of being done. Watching my watch pass the 100 Mile mark, with about half a mile to go (and losing the hundredths number) was an absolutely surreal and incredible feeling. I finally crossed the start line for the final time, which had now become the finish line for me, with a smile on my face, in my fastest lap of the day in just over 43 minutes.
 |
| Yard Splits |
I collected my final milestone “24 Hours”, as I, and three other runners, tapped at the 24 Yard (100.00 Miles) mark as I officially came in 7th Place out of 227 runners, and tied for fifth in distance run. It was great as well having both Skyler and Spencer back at the start line as we finished the 100 Mile mark. While my race had concluded, four runners, Jordan Buck, Pavlo Li, Andrew Drake, and Jake Meeker lined up for another yard, as Andrew and Jake would go on to complete one more yard before tapping, and Jordan and Pavlo would go to battle in the powder of the Day Loop for several more hours before Jordan earned an incredible victory in Yard 29 (120.84 Miles) to defend his title.
I am absolutely thrilled to earn my second hundred-mile
finish and second belt buckle of the year. For the longest time, I just could
not figure out the hundred-mile distance, and to be able to complete it twice
this year, is incredibly special. The Vermont 100 was the hardest thing
physically I have ever done and SRC Presents: A Backyard Ultra was by far the
hardest thing mentally I have ever done. To continue to put myself out there
loop after loop and reach 100 Miles, in the cold, dark, snow, everything
soaked, everything hurting, was something I never thought I was capable of
doing and I think unlocks a lot of fun goals and adventures for me in the
future as I push myself to see how far and how fast I can go. I have a really
exciting racing season lined up for 2026 that I am hoping to finalize in the
coming weeks. For now, though it is in to a nice two or three week reset into
the new year before beginning the next build for the first “A” race of 2026, which
looks like it will be Canyons 100K by UTMB.
I can’t thank RD Mike Petrina, Smithtown Running Company, Sayville Running, and SRC Timing enough for putting on this incredibly well run and fun event. I also want to thank all of the volunteers and photographers who were out there, as well as a big shout out to Skyler and his family, who I couldn’t have done this without. Finally, a shout out to my fellow runners, who continue to help each other raise the bar and find out what they are truly capable of.
