Free. You can start with nothing.
A 4.167 mile loop that starts at the top of every hour. Finish the loop inside the hour and you start the next one; the race goes on until one runner is left. Runners stage under a single pavilion a few seconds from the starting corral, with a 12 by 12 foot crew space each, and the aid station there carries ice, water and electrolyte drink throughout, with full food service from Saturday afternoon on.
There are two loops. From 7am to 7pm runners are on the day loop, flat open field for the first 0.7 miles and then a mix of dirt and crushed gravel bridle trails, with 300 to 350 feet of climb a lap. From 7pm to 7am they cross Gunston Road onto the night loop, a paved bike path that rolls but is mostly flat, with about 75 feet of climb a lap.
A backyard ultra at Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area in Lorton, Virginia, just outside Washington DC. Runners cover a 4.167 mile loop starting on the hour, every hour, until one runner is left: rolling bridle trail through the day, a paved bike path through the night. The field is capped at 65, everyone camps and crews under one pavilion a few seconds from the starting corral, and the aid station is run by two chefs who are ultrarunners themselves. The race calls itself a dress rehearsal for Big's Backyard Ultra, and much of its staff has worked there.
The first Capital Backyard Ultra was run on 1 August 2020. The next five editions were held in late May, and from 2026 the race moved to March. The 2027 running is the eighth.
15 people have been out there with a camera or a microphone.
+ 7 more.
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I keep this catalog because the information is scattered and hard to trust. Telling you when it moves is the same job.
