Cornwall's Backyard Ultra

Cornwall's Backyard Ultra

Cornwall's Backyard Ultra is a looped endurance event built around repeated laps of a fixed distance: 4.167 miles (6.7056 kilometers). Each lap begins at regular hourly intervals and competitors must start when the bell sounds. There is no scheduled finish; the last person to complete a lap is declared the winner and all others are recorded as DNF. If no runner completes one more lap than all others, there is no winner.

The event for 2026 is scheduled to start Saturday 3th October 2026 and takes place between Bedruthan Steps and St Eval. The race HQ field near St Eval Go Karts is the start and finish location for each lap. The course runs mainly on Cornish country lanes and includes about half a mile of the Coast Path at Bedruthan Steps. The route is undulating and mixes lanes and coastal path. The course includes a small lap run anti-clockwise and a larger lap run clockwise. Part of the route crosses private farm track; walkers and runners are asked to stay on the footpath and follow signage.

Official Backyard Ultra rules are used and may be supplemented by event-specific rules. Loops must meet the prescribed distance and be completed within the hourly limit to count. Competitors may not leave the course during a loop except for restrooms, no personal aid is allowed while on a loop, common aid stations are permitted, no artificial aids including trekking poles, and slower runners must allow passes. Timing of individual loops is optional. Entry is restricted to over 18s and camping is available onsite until the event concludes. Kit is checked at registration; essentials include at least 2 litres of water, nutrition, a mobile phone, waterproof clothing and high-visibility items for poor light. A headtorch and rear light are required to begin a lap into darkness. The event provides water, snacks, a timing tracker, on site parking, and non electric camping. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.