The Devils Race Track Backyard Ultra

The Devils Race Track Backyard Ultra

The event is a Last Runner Standing backyard ultra held at the North Alabama Land Trust’s Wade Mountain Preserve near Huntsville, Alabama. The course uses a traditional backyard ultra format: a loop that must be completed within each hour to continue.

Each circuit is exactly 4 miles 880 feet (about 4.167 miles). The route begins with a short road out-and-back to separate the field, then follows single-track trails that include Devils Race Track, Wade Mountain, Shovelton, and Rock Wall before returning to the start. After dark the race moves to an out-and-back on the asphalt of Spragins Hollow Road.

Key race rules require competitors to be in the starting corral when the horn sounds; each loop begins on the hour. No personal aid is allowed during a loop, and competitors may not leave the course except for restrooms. Artificial aids such as trekking poles are not permitted. Slower runners must allow passes. The winner is the last individual to complete a loop; if no runner completes one more loop than anyone else, there is no winner. Results list distance covered for all participants.

Participants receive a shirt and a finisher cap, and any runner reaching 24 hours or 100 miles receives a buckle. Registration closes October 7. The event location is the Spragins Hollow Trailhead at Wade Mountain Preserve. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.