This Is How It Felt to Win My First Backyard Ultra
Over 125 miles to celebrate my passion for running
“Am I going out alone?”
Just seconds before the start of loop 30, I realize that Zoe, the only other competitor left in the race, isn’t lining up for another round.
I can’t believe it, but the organizer, Darren, confirms. “Yes, you’re going out alone.”
It takes a while for the reality to fully sink in.
During that last solo loop, a badger crosses my path. We lock eyes for a few seconds. “How are you the last one standing?” he seems to wonder.
“Good question,” I nod back. “How did that happen?”
Thirty hours earlier, I began the race with near-zero expectations for my first loop. After an 11-day adventure across the Pyrenees — covering nearly 185 miles, 56,000 feet of elevation, lacking proper nutrition, and getting little sleep — you’d think my body would demand rest.
Add to that a 27-hour car ride from the south of France to the UK, also without sleep, and you might expect I’d catch up on some much-needed rest. But hey, who needs sleep or proper recovery when you can run a Backyard Ultra?
That’s why I signed up for the Longbridge Backyard, a race held on beautiful farmland…
