I've entered a Backyard event in July.  Goal is to win (obvs) and secure a place in the Tenessee event in 2022 (winner gets some £££ towards travel costs to the US).

Anyone got any experience of these?  I've run quite a few timed events (6/12/24) but nothing quite like this.

Any good resources on preparing for them / packing for them / mental game etc?

Thanks....  that sounds absolutely brutal.  What have I signed up for?!!

I did a few loops at the Quarantine Backyard Ultra last April.  Not comparable to a real Backyard since it was virtual (via Zoom) and people did their loops all over the world, inside and outside, in all sorts of conditions.  Here's a YouTube video from a friend who did the virtual April event.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKh1ITVQqrA

I think it's safe to assume it will be brutal and you will be running for days.  

Greg - safe prediction.

Gatsby - thanks

Krash - yes, crew coming together and have crewed for me in the past.  My plan is sort of forming in my head at the moment, and could look like averaging 48 min laps and then prioritising ONE thing during the 12 min break (eat / nap / change clothes / foot care etc).

Although the RD has said winner gets some help with travel costs to Tennessee, I don't really know how you get entered into Big's event in Bell Buckle - is it like the Barkley Marathons? Shrouded in secrecy?

I've entered a Backyard event in July.  Goal is to win (obvs) and secure a place in the Tenessee event in 2022 (winner gets some £££ towards travel costs to the US).

Are you sure about that? Last year, there was a special format for Bigs: local events only, 15 people per country, with a country-level competition as well as the local competition in each country. Of course, that was because of Covid. But it was extremely popular, and my understanding is that Laz is leaning towards now doing that again every other year. So this year will be a normal Big's, with a large field in Tennessee from all over the world, but I thought that next year was going to go back to the local-only, country-level competition format. In which case only a small number of US runners would be in Tennessee. Maybe I am wrong, or more likely Laz hasn't decided for sure yet.

Anyone got any experience of these?  I've run quite a few timed events (6/12/24) but nothing quite like this.

I was registered for Big's in 2019 but didn't start, insufficiently recovered from a 6-day. I ran the Quarantine Backyard Ultra last year. I hoped for at least 48 hours, but had total crap weather and stopped at 34 with badly macerated feet. Mentally already I had been through some pretty dark places by then and had come out the other side, so that was disappointing. This was surprising to me, since I've run longer than that many times, but the backyard format is a big mental screw.

Any good resources on preparing for them / packing for them / mental game etc?

Here's what I wrote about my experience: https://www.facebook.com/robert.hearn/posts/10215993875629825

Laz's 2014 article in Ultrarunning Mag on the backyard format is required reading: https://image.isu.pub/141215192620-591010bd565baaeb8519cba763148de1/jpg/page_16.jpg

I'll be honest... I'm not a fan of this format. It was cool when it was an obscure Laz psychological experiment. But I think it's gotten way too popular. In particular, I see the kind of sleep deprivation it imposes as extremely unhealthy, contributing to cumulative brain damage that won't fully manifest for decades. 48-hour may be similar. At 6-day, you can sleep a few consecutive hours a day and still perform at the top level. But in a backyard, to do well, I really believe you have to permanently damage yourself.

Thanks Bob - great resources.  Yes - I'm sure.  There are now many official Backyard events (I guess sort of franchises) around the world.  Laz did email me to let me know that he has decided the UK "Golden Ticket" event is the other one - not the one that I've entered... gargh. Anyway, I'll still go ahead I think.  Given that it sits right in the middle of a 7 week recovery period between 100 mi trail races, I don't think I'll be running much more than 24hrs.

 

I think for most (certainly for me) it is not at all similar to a 24-hour. I found the mental game starting well before day 1 was up. Not knowing how long the race will last makes a huge difference. The sleep / break strategy can be pretty complicated. In a 24-hour, you would never, ever see anyone run for 45 minutes then sit for 15 minutes. And most who enter Big's are done before 24 hours. So that's a stupid strategy, right? Well. You're not going to win Big's by lasting 24 hours (or 48). It appears that those that do the best are the ones who get the most sleep. In the end, it's sleep deprivation, combined with the mind-screw, that will probably do you in.

I see what you are saying Bob. Has some similarities but not many. Thanks for the insight. The running and resting part of the races is the unknown for me. I know after so many miles in a 100, I don't sit down. Don't know if I would get back up. I hope to do a race longer that 24 hours before I jump in to a Big's race.