The race
One yard. Every hour. No finish distance.
01 · Race & format
The backyard ultra removes the traditional finish line. The distance is fixed, the clock is absolute and the only question is whether an athlete can return to the same line one more time.
The essential numbers
6.7056 KM
Each yard
4.1667 MI
Imperial distance
60:00
Time available
01
Last athlete
- 01
Enter the corral
Every remaining athlete must be in the starting corral before the next hour begins.
- 02
Answer the bell
A new 6.7056-kilometre yard begins precisely at the top of the hour. A late start ends the race.
- 03
Complete the yard
Finish within sixty minutes. The route distance never changes, but the athlete experiencing it does.
- 04
Use what remains
Time left in the hour becomes recovery: eat, change, receive crew support, solve problems and prepare.
- 05
Return and repeat
Every athlete still competing starts the next yard together. The cycle continues without a predetermined finish distance.
- 06
Be the last
The winner is the final athlete to complete one additional yard after every other athlete has stopped.
Why the format matters
Simple enough to explain. Hard enough to expose everything.
Speed alone does not decide a backyard ultra. Athletes must manage effort, nutrition, temperature, equipment, sleep and the shrinking time between decisions.
The shared start resets the race every hour. An elite athlete and an ambitious everyday runner can stand on the same line, answer the same bell and face the same requirement.
The Last Mile intends to preserve that traditional simplicity while building a distinctly Canadian Rockies athlete, crew and spectator experience around it.
Follow the event in development