Backyard ultra: the craziest, funniest and longest race I’ve ever run

Siri Schubert

15.5.2025

Translation: Megan Cornish

«Are they crazy?» I think to myself when I hear about the backyard ultra in Hallwil. It’s a race without a finish line that lasts hours or days, consisting of a single lap that you can run as many times as you like. Whoever lasts the longest wins. It sounds so crazy that I have to sign up.

As is often the case in life, chance is involved. On the car radio, I hear about a race taking place virtaully on my doorstep: the Backyard Ultra Hallwil (website in German).

I prick up my ears. What was that? A race without a finish line that can last hours or even days? Where the person who finishes the last lap alone is crowned the winner?

That’s right, in a backyard ultra, you have an hour to run 6.706 kilometres. Every hour, on the hour, runners gather on the starting line. Anyone who drops out or doesn’t finish the lap within 60 minutes is eliminated. «This could be really cool or really terrible,» I think to myself. Either way, it’s reason enough to try it.

Last minute tips and a real challenge

I quickly sign up, with three days to go before the race. There’s no time for targeted training or a proper recovery period. I’m hoping my legs have recovered somewhat after the Wings for Life World Run a few days earlier.

So far, my longest runs have been between 30 and 36 kilometres. I’ve never run a marathon, let alone an ultra – a race that goes beyond marathon distance.

All this means I have no idea what to expect from the backyard ultra. Luckily, there are tips on nutrition and kits online. If you want to know what worked best for me, check out my recommendations.

Team spirit, conversations and the fun of running together

The Hallwil backyard ultra’s limited to 50 runners. Even before the start, I’m impressed by the friendly atmosphere. One runner shares his strategy with me: avoid getting cold by keeping breaks short, occasionally walk during small climbs and eat something during every break.

I meet cousins Samara and Anja while setting up my aid station in the gym. Samara’s sister, Tanja, offers to help me as well, as I don’t have a support crew. Wow, there’s so much team spirit, friendliness and openness! In fact, I’m continually inspired by the encounters and conversations I have throughout the day.

Community spirit’s at the heart of this run. While many people have set a time or lap goal, it’s essentially about running together, laughing and ultimately even suffering a little.

These aren’t just hollow words. Because everyone starts together on the hour, a sense of community develops. No one runs alone or gets left behind. «To run really long distances, you need others to join you,» says Race Director Kathrin Buff. «Because once a runner finishes a lap alone, the race is over.»

Time to run for as long as you can

The starting gun fires. I’m tempted to race away, but I take all the advice to heart and start slowly and steadily. I quickly find myself chatting with fellow runners. We discuss our favourite and most hated running shoes, great training routes and running at night under the stars.

Samara tells me she’s originally from Switzerland but has lived in Botswana since 2001. There, she finished her first backyard ultra after ten laps. Today, her goal’s to top that and have a great running experience with her cousin Anja, who’s running her first backyard ultra.

Later, I hear Samara’s already run the Serengeti Marathon in Tanzania. And the much tougher 100-kilometre Salt Pans Ultra in Botswana, which passes through salt deserts and grassy savannahs in extreme heat. Wow.

And just like that, the first lap is over. And the second. And so on. Time and kilometres fly by. The breaks between laps become more and more welcome. The organisers have set up a buffet with sweet and savoury snacks and, later, hot meals. Because anyone who wants to run long distances needs a constant supply of energy.

Backyard ultras have fans all over the world

The race in Hallwil is part of the The Last Lap (TLL) racing series (website in German) with races in Goldach, Varen, Jegensdorf, Lugano and Interlaken.

It was founded by Marco Jaeggi (website in German), who’s a passionate ultrarunner himself. His achievements include the Marathon des Sables, the Eiger Ultra Trail, and the world’s longest desert race, which stretches 1,200 kilometres non-stop through the Mauritanian desert. In 2024, he secured one of the few starting spots in the Barkley Marathon, one of the toughest endurance races in the world. Since the first edition almost 40 years ago, only 20 people – including one woman – have successfully completed it.

The inventor of the Barkley Marathon and the backyard ultra format is American Gary Cantrell, better known as Lazarus Lake. He’s a legend in ultra marathon circles, sometimes described as a «malevolent genius,» and the «Leonardo da Vinci of pain.» He deliberately set the backyard ultra course at 6.706 kilometres (4.167 miles) so that 100 miles (160.93 kilometres) would be reached after 24 laps.

The beauty of this format is that no one has to run an extreme distance. You decide when to stop: after one, five, or 116 laps. The current world record’s held by Polish runner Lukasz Wrobel, who ran more than 777 kilometres in a circle.

Backyard ultras now take place in 70 countries around the world. They’re suitable for both beginners and professionals. In Switzerland, in addition to The Last Lap race series, there’s the Witiker Backyard Ultra, which is taking place for the sixth time this year, the Easter Backyard Ultra, the Helvetia Backyard Ultra in Oberwil-Lieli, the Ettinger Backyard Ultra and the Backyard Ultra Chur (websites in German). There are also regular individual races and events in the same format.

No trace of boredom

I’ve now run five laps – more than 33 kilometres. I’m still feeling good and enjoying the conversations. Knowing that I can stop or keep going at any time relaxes me. This is certainly partly because I started with no expectations and no specific goal.

However, the breaks feel like they’re getting shorter and shorter. I want to refill my water bottle, change socks and shoes, and eat something. Before sunset, all runners have to put on headtorches and reflective safety vest – this is checked at the start line.

Before the race, I wondered if it’d get incredibly bored running the same route over and over again. But I’m always running with different people, which makes every lap interesting. And I appreciate knowing that when I reach a significant small incline, I’m almost back at the finish line.

I also like the route itself, passing Hallwyl Castle. I’m not alone. «Beautiful, with the forest, the stream, the cows along the roadside and the flower fields in bloom,» enthuses Samara.

It’s been quite warm, so I’m looking forward to the temperature dropping and it getting dark – I like running in the dark. I’m also looking forward to the next break, when I want to eat a few spoonfuls of rice pudding with berries. And put on fresh socks and a dry t-shirt.

I’m now on lap eight. I’ve passed the magical 50-kilometre mark and am now in the ultra zone. I hadn’t expected that. After nine laps and 60.2 kilometres, I decide I’ve had enough.

I didn’t push myself to my limit, but I had a great running experience and jogged further than ever before. Maybe I’ll start the next backyard ultra with a more ambitious goal, but I’m happy with that for today.

Personal bests and a surprising winner

While I’m packing up, the race continues. Samara and Anja are still in good shape. Anja finishes her debut with 14 laps (93.88 kilometres), while Samara sets a new personal best with 16 laps (107.29 kilometres).

Only five runners remain in the race from lap 17 on. From lap 22, only two remain: the ultra-experienced Thomas Lauber and newcomer Alessio Aretano. Mental strength is now crucial. Alessio – the youngest participant in the race at 21 – had told me earlier during a lap running together that his goal for his first backyard ultra was 25 laps. «Respect,» I thought.

And he succeeds: he crosses the finish line after more than 100 miles (167.6 kilometres). «It’s surreal. I never thought I could beat such experienced runners,» he beams. There were also low points. The lack of sleep during the night and heavy legs took their toll on him. But it was his attitude, his mindset, that allowed him to keep running one more lap until he succeeded.

With a total time of 25 hours, the first Backyard Ultra Hallwil is a fairly short backyard ultra race, with higher lap counts often achieved. But quality’s just as important as quantity. And it’s here that this backyard ultra truly delivered.

Siri Schubert

Senior Editor

Siri.Schubert@digitecgalaxus.ch

Research diver, outdoor guide and SUP instructor – I love being in, on and around water. Lakes, rivers and the ocean are my playgrounds. For a change of perspective, I look at the world from above while trail running or flying drones.

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