Date set for Delta Backyard Ultra 2023
The Backyard Ultra promises to be as exciting as ever this year.
The Delta Backyard Ultra will make its return this year and the most hardcore runners will come from across the country to once again test their limits in the picturesque setting of Delta Park.
Come April 30, the fourth edition of the event will have a new feature – The Distance Challenge allows runners of any ability to come and compete at any time during the main DBU last-person standing event in 5km, half marathon, marathon, and 100km events.
Last year 62 people entered the main race and four ran the children’s edition.
The event is the brainchild of Lazarus Lake, the infamous race director in the United States of America who also created the Barkley Marathons and Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra.
The event is a ‘last person standing’ foot race where participants are required to complete a 6.706km lap (aka “yard” – the distance allows participants to complete 100 miles/161km in 24 hours) within an hour.
A yard starts every hour, on the hour. If a runner is not in the starting pen/corral by the time the siren sounds at the start of the yard, then their race is over, and they are a ‘DNF’ (did not finish). As this is a last-person standing event, there is only one race finisher.
Last year Jacov Lalou won the race in 38 hours, running a record total of 254.8km.
He won R20,000 cash, which he donated to the CHOC Foundation.
“I’m usually a quiet guy. It was interesting doing this for a worthy cause,” he told Caxton Local Media at the time.
“I don’t even speak at family occasions. I leave the public speaking to my wife. Now I had to deal with radio and TV interviews.”
There was also a kiddo race for the second time. The children’s race has a shorter yard of “only” 4.21km.
More information about the event can be found on the website.
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