Elm Creek Backyard Ultra
Maple Grove, United States • 24 Apr 2026
Elm Creek Backyard Ultra (April 24-27, 2026)
The Elm Creek Backyard Ultra is a backyard-format endurance event held in Maple Grove, MN at Elm Creek Park Reserve. The format requires runners to complete a 4.167 mile loop every hour for as long as they can. Each loop must be started at the top of the hour and no pacing or aid may be provided to runners while they are on the course. Between loops, runners may receive support from their crew.
Course, registration and rules
The course starts and finishes at the Bluebird Picnic area and follows the south side of the park along the lake trail and around Mud Lake. The loop includes 296 feet of elevation gain and loss and will rotate between clockwise and counterclockwise directions every few hours. Packet pick-up is offered the morning of the race. Overnight, park gates will be locked; crews may leave but will not be able to return until dawn. There is space next to the start/finish for a chair and cooler, and tents may be set up in a designated picnic area about 50-100 yards away.
Registration opened on September 1, 2025, with an anticipated capacity of about 190 runners; registration closes when capacity is reached and a waitlist may be used. Runners must be standing in the starting corral when the bell rings to begin a loop. Whistles are used as minute warnings before each loop, and a bell signals the start. If only one runner remains and that person completes a loop alone, that runner is the winner; all other entrants are recorded as DNF with total distance logged. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.