The Devils Race Track Backyard Ultra
Huntsville, United States • 10 Oct 2026
Backyard Ultra at Wade Mountain
The Devils Race Track Backyard Ultra takes place at the Land Trust of North Alabama's Wade Mountain Preserve in Huntsville. The event follows the traditional format established by Lazarus Lake, serving as a qualifying opportunity for the championship at Big Dog's Backyard Ultra. The competition continues until only one participant remains.
Participants must complete a loop of exactly 4.167 miles every hour. A horn sounds at the top of each hour to signal the start of a new lap, and runners must be inside the starting corral at that moment to continue. Any runner who does not finish the loop within the hour or fails to be in the corral for the start is eliminated.
The course utilizes different terrain depending on the time of day:
- The first quarter mile of each lap is on a road to allow the field of runners to spread out.
- During daylight hours, the remainder of the loop consists of a single-track trail.
- After darkness falls, the route moves entirely to a road loop until sunrise.
Maintaining the required pace of 14:24 per mile allows runners to stay in the event. This format is designed to test how far an individual can go, with the race concluding only when one runner completes a solo loop after all others have dropped out. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.