Simon
A well written chronicle of the rise of the Backyard Ultra format. The most interesting parts are all about how the format developed and the characters who conceived of it — particularly Lazarus Lake and his many experiments in race formats that preceded the Backyard.
There's slightly too much listing of race results and runners for my taste. I will remember very few of the accomplished runners and their impressive accomplishments. Some of this is necessary to tell the story, but it was a bit much at times.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. An easy read about an interesting subject, especially for someone who has dabbled in running as a hobby. It might just have convinced me to give a Backyard a try in 2026 — I'll be happy with three laps.
A well written chronicle of the rise of the Backyard Ultra format. The most interesting parts are all about how the format developed and the characters who conceived of it — particularly Lazarus Lake and his many experiments in race formats that preceded the Backyard.
There's slightly too much listing of race results and runners for my taste. I will remember very few of the accomplished runners and their impressive accomplishments. Some of this is necessary to tell the story, but it was a bit much at times.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. An easy read about an interesting subject, especially for someone who has dabbled in running as a hobby. It might just have convinced me to give a Backyard a try in 2026 — I'll be happy with three laps.