Just A Training Run’s Backyard Ultra The ‘last person standing’ format fits nicely into the JATR suite of events, as we offer fun, low-key endurance events that allow each participant to reach their personal endurance goals.
The event will be held on the grounds of the Airfield Conference Center in Wakefield, VA. https://www.airfieldconference.com/
The Backyard Ultra is not a race against others – there is no person “in the lead” at any time. Rather, you are competing against yourself – to see how far you can go, one ‘yard’ (4.16667 loop) an hour. It is a simple concept that requires endurance, mental fortitude, planning, the ability to adapt when the plans don’t work, and the ability to enjoy your run ‘in the moment’. The format also enables us to continue our low-key, small event approach that has a community and family feel. Thank you for being a part of the JATR family with this event. We welcome any runner that would like to try the event and encourage serious competition to go as far as you can, and welcome volunteers to help our competitors during the days and nights of the run. The JATR Backyard Ultra is affiliated with the Backyard Ultra organization (https://backyardultra.com).
We are starting a wait list once the event is full. If the event is full and you are a competitor targeting high mileage and seeking the opportunity to compete for an at-large bid the with the Backyard Ultra series of events, please message the r.d. What is a backyard ultra? The last person standing format requires competitors to travel a pre-set 4.16667 course (this event has a daytime and nighttime course) within 60 minutes. A competitor “times out” if they are not able to finish a yard (loop) within 60 minutes or are not in the starting corral and does not start the next yard. Schedule Friday, May 13 (Friday times may change) 3 – runners staying on site may begin to check in at the conference center 3 - runners may set up in the competitor's section and begin to set up their tent area (the race and race personnel, nor the conference center, are responsible for tents and other items left on site) 3 – 6 pm- check in on site and bib pick up. A picture of each runner will be taken at check in.
Saturday, May 13 6:00 am – racers that did not set up the day prior may arrive to set up. You are strongly encouraged to arrive early in order to ensure you are checked in and set up. Contestants must be in the starting corral at the start of the event whistle. 7:00 am – 7:20 am – bib pick up for racers that did not pick up bibs May 13
8:00 am – Daytime loop begins precisely at 8 am.
Any contestant not in the Starting Corral at the 8;00 am whistle is finished before they begin.
3 whistles will be blown 3 minutes before 8 am. 2 whistles will be blown 2 minutes before 8 am. 1 whistle will be blown 1 minute before 8 am. An announcement will be made 30 seconds before 8 am. A 10 second countdown will take place at 10 seconds until 8, and a bell will ring at 8 am to begin the JATR Bayard Ultra.
6:00 pm – transition to nightime loop
Sunday, May 14 8:00 am – Daytime loop begins precisely at 8 6:00 pm – transition to nightime loop
Monday, May 15 8:00 am – Daytime loop begins 6:00 pm – transition to nightime loop
Tuesday, May 16 8:00 am – Daytime loop begins Field Logistics for tents We will be set up in a field. Be prepared for rain or sun. • Each runner must provide the shelter if desired, nothing bigger than a 10x10 tent. • Portable toilets will be provided for runners and their crew. We need an accurate count of crew for this purpose. You will be emailed two weeks prior to indicate crew numbers. • You will not be able to crew from your car. • Field spaces are available on a first arrive basis. Please be mindful to set up in a logical manner in order to provide access space for runners walking to the corral. • There will be a designated runner’s space close to the starting corral. This will be marked off and tents will not be permitted here. Competitor’s space This will be a marked off spot that will accommodate chairs only for competitors and their crew. please be mindful of the space and do not ‘spread out’. Only runners, their crew, and volunteers are permitted in this space. Beginning at 3 pm runners may secure a spot via “planting a chair”. You will need to ensure the chair is anchored down in some way in case there is wind – we do not want flying chairs during the evening if there is wind. You may use the chair and the space around the chair to the equivalent of about a cooler size perimeter around your chair. Keep in mind this will not be covered and in the event of rain you may elect to use your tent for your gear – be prepared for this possibility or if you want to/need to have your chair and space covered from elements. This is the advantage of having a crew member there to support you. They are permitted to ‘maintain’ your space in that area.
If you drop out of the event you must remove your items as soon as possible from the competitor’s space. Competitor’s crew are able to move up their runner’s items if they are still in the event after ¼ of the runners have dropped out. Portable restrooms Portable restrooms will be lined up to be accessed during the loop. Runners may only leave the course directly to use the restroom – as the restrooms are directly off the course runners will not technically be off the course. They are also accessible during the transition period, however do not get stuck in a toilet as you must be in the starting corral and beginning with the ringing of the bell. Crew and volunteers are asked to not use the portable restrooms between fifteen minutes to the hour and directly after start in order to allow competitors to have access. Aid Station Competitors are responsible for providing their own aid. The race is not providing aid to runners (hydration, nutrition) so be prepared to be self-reliant with your crew. Note a crew is highly recommended. Competitor Tracking Competitors will be manually tracked via bib logging. We will do our best to update Facebook and/or twitter, pending signals, so friends and family can follow along. We will log everyone’s distance on ultrasignup, although only the last person standing will be considered a finisher as everyone else is technically a DNF. Loops The day course will be run from 8 am to 6 pm. While not extraordinarily rooty, there are some technical sections of which for this first year we do not want run in twilight/near dark requiring headlamps. The day loop will consists of an initial road portion of about .6 miles (asphalt and road) to spread out runners, followed by a double loop on trail and road of about 1.78333 miles each loop to total 4.16667 for the day loop. There is limited vert in this area. There are a few small downhills, no more than about 10-15 feet each and overall loss/gain of about 50 feet per loop.
The night course will be a 4.16667 road course consisting of asphalt, gravel, and dirt. Headlamps or another illumination device is required by competitors for safety purposes. Failure to have a lighting device can result in being disqualified (exception if the lighting device fails mid-loop, but come prepared with backups as they will be required for future loops). Please note the airfield conference center does have the Airfield Shooting Club on the premises. We will not be running near the shooting range during our day yards, however you will hear the gun fire from the shooting range.
The night course will consist of two loops. The nighttime loop is generally flat.
The road portions of the loops is on the conference center property and we will not be running on public roads. Runners should still be cautious of road traffic due to conference center visitors and employees, volunteers, and race personnel.
The course will be wheel measured and accurately measured. GPS may be unreliable in this area. The course will be well marked.
Backyard Ultra Rules: These rules are required by Laz for all Backyard Ultra (https://backyardultra.com/sign-up/) affiliated. 1. Course • Loop or out and back • Must be 4 miles 880 feet in length • Metric equivalent 6.7056 kilometers 2. Starting Corral • Measured to fit entire starting field • Corral stays the same size thru out the event • Participants must be in the starting corral at the bell 3. Starts • Each loop starts precisely 1 hour after the last • Warning must be given 3, 2, and 1 minutes prior to start • All competitors must start at the bell (no late starts) 4. Loops • Except for restrooms, competitor may not leave the course until each loop is completed • No non-competitors on the course (including eliminated runners) • No personal aid during a loop (common aid stations are allowed) • Each loop must be completed within an hour to be counted… including the final lap. • No artificial aids (including trekking poles) • Slower runners must allow passes. 5. Timing • Timing of the loops is optional 6. Winner/Results • The winner is the last person to complete a loop • All others are technically DNF • Results of each runner in terms of distance covered are to be given. • If no runner can complete one more loop than anyone else, there is no winner. 7. Cap • Race must be open ended.
JATR event additional rules. • No dogs or other pets. • No generators. • Personal camp stoves are allowed but cannot be on brush or on decks and the area cleared for potential fire hazards. Stoves must be continuously monitored and may not at any time be left unattended. • Headphones are allowed only during if you leave one earbud out to hear runners and cars. • Trekking poles are not allowed. Items such as running vests, packs, bottles are allowed. • Runners may not receive aid or stop at their tent along the course at any point until they complete their 4.1667 mile loop. • Crew members may correspond with runners while they pass through the start line after their first loop, and offer verbal encouragement, but they cannot hand things off to the runners. • Verbal encouragement and verbal correspondence is allowed during the loop, but absolutely no handing off aid of any kind whatsoever. • Stopping at the portable toilets during the loop is permitted during the loop.
There is only one runner who will "finish". There are no ties. The event winner will receive a yet to be determined winner item and the other runners will receive an item to recognize their run.