For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the format of the ‘God’s Own Back Yard Ultra’, or GOBYU for short. This is a race event where the participants have one hour to run 4.17 miles and get back to the start line for the next lap. If they don’t make it back in time, then they cannot toe the start line for the next lap. Each loop or ‘yard’ starts on the hour, every hour, and the race goes on until there is only one person left standing; everyone else is a DNF (did not finish).

 

Further research showed me that this is an event that has grown far beyond our back yard. There are the Back Yard World Championships, with an increase of these types of events cropping up not just in the UK, but globally. It seems that even the mainstream media has become aware of this event, with recent attention on the amazing feat of Australia’s Phil Gore, who set a new world record for 2023. Gore ran 102 laps, or yards, at the Dead Cow Gully Backyard master’s event, 180km north-west of Brisbane. Where he ran more than 600 kilometres in four days!

Funnily enough, although impressed by such a physical and mental achievement I wasn’t really tempted to sign up. For a while colleagues and local Leeds runners had made me aware of the Leeds own version of the event, I published Nathan’s own story of the GOBYU only a year or so ago. Again, I was impressed by the sheer determination of ordinary runners, but I still wasn’t convinced to sign-up for such madness until I was out on a run listening to one of my favourite podcasts ‘Tea and Trails’. This particular episode (20 in case you are interested) included an interview with the incredibly humble Karen Nicol, who is the British Female Record holder for the GOBYU. Her training plan sounded brutal, but this super tough woman from Balloch in Scotland also sounded so down to earth, juggling childcare and work, yet managing to represent women in such a positive way for endurance sport.

It seemed I really should give this event a go….

Luckily for me, Leeds has it’s very own GOBYU, with fantastic Race Director Jane and her incredibly enthusiastic crew, offering both a Spring and a Winter option, and handily located at Kirkstall forge.

So, at the beginning of May, in a post-race glow of endorphins (which seems to be a prime slot for signing up for further ridiculous challenges), I had just finished the GB Pennine Barrier Ultra (also a great race event if you like the Yorkshire Three Peaks… with the added extra of some 25 miles). I was after 11 hours pretty tired, but I wasn’t totally broken. 

So, I found myself entering for the November GOBYU, thinking I would have a whole summer to recover and start up the demanding training that an ultra-distance requires… Fast forward to October and I was cramming in the mileage, in preparation for my 12-yard goal which would be 50 miles.

My main worry was less about the physical challenge, (having experienced this in previous marathon and ultra-distances) but the mental challenge it posed. I tend to avoid lapped courses, preferring circular, or even better (if you can work out the transport logistics), linear. I am lucky enough to live next to a direct trainline to the Yorkshire Dales or a 40-minute drive.  So pretty much all of my really long training runs involved areas of outstanding natural beauty, with a lot of hours spent in the Yorkshire Dales, or the Calder Valley and the occasional coastal path when I visited family in the North-East. The very idea of doing the same 4.17 miles over and over again, didn’t really align with the reasons why I enjoy running. But I guess for many of us, the challenge, whether it is your first 10 km or first 100 miles, is exactly why we sign up to do these things, so I was prepared to dig deep. (If you fancy trying out the Kirkstall daytime ‘yard’ for yourself, then the link is here)

Race day arrived on Saturday 18^th November, and although I had thought myself to be reasonably organised, having carefully read all the briefing documents, arranged a lift there and back and so forth… However, when I arrived at the rather muddy GOBYU HQ around 7.30am, after being given my race number – 13! …. and with a bag of snacks, a camping chair and a change of socks…. I quickly realised that I was a total novice. I was situated in the non-camper’s section, a large, covered marquee, close to both the tea/coffee making facilities and the toilets – my two main requirements for a race!

Luckily, I had parked myself (chair and snacks) next to the super friendly guy called Steve. Who had plenty of GOBYU wisdom and experience to share, as well as plenty of spare safety pins and paracetamol! Looking around it was clear that those who has done this type of event before brought their food and hydration in large clear plastic boxes (to avoid that riffling around searching for malt loaf or salt sticks). They also had dry robes, usually used by wild swimming enthusiasts, but this seemed to be a clear winner to keep warm between laps. My biggest failure on the preparation front, was the fact that I had only brought one pair of trainers… the trail shoes I was wearing. I regretted this deeply when the ‘day-loop’ through a muddy section of the woods turned into the ‘night-loop’, which was an out and back along the canal. Some road running shoes, with a bit more cushioning would have definitely helped, and boy did my knees and ankles feel it the following day!

All lessons learned though, and errors in preparation aside, I surprised myself by just how much I enjoyed my first ever GOBYU, and that the constant lapping of the same route which I had been dreading, actually had a lot of benefits.

Firstly, I didn’t have carry my entire kit on my back, which is pretty much standard in most ultra-races, in fact after the first lap, I only carried a phone. Secondly, I have never been so well hydrated and totally on top of my fuelling and nutrition during a race ever! The 10–15-minute rest breaks between laps were the perfect opportunity to eat, drink, stretch, nip to the loo, even make a cuppa. The forced rest breaks meant that I never felt totally defeated… although the 3-minute warning whistle became less of a welcome sound as the day went on.

I think what really made this event was how all the runners congregated each time to start the next lap, with the sound of the cow bell and the cheers of the crew and supporters to start us off again. Some with only seconds to spare, others, like the super speedy Saltaire Strider I chatted to, had time for a 30-minute power nap.

The first lap I ran with my new buddy and chair neighbour in the marquee, Steve. At 65 he was pretty speedy, and averaged 45 mins each time, despite taking a tumble into some brambles on lap one. With only one lens of his glasses intact, he went on to complete many more, and recalled some of his other race experience involving 5 days running in the desert – he was hardcore.

Some laps I ran with my good mate Deano from the Recovery Runners, who kept up a constant stream of banter which kept me laughing even when things felt tough. He also had an entire cheer leading squad of Recovery Runners supporting him, that at times it felt like running with a celebrity. (I must say at this point how grateful I am to my friend Carmel and her husband Tom who came along to support at lap 8…9? They provided a real boost). Deano has run many marathons before, but this was his first ultra, and given he had not run anything beyond 26.2 miles before, he totally smashed it, completing well over 40 miles.

I also ran a few laps with Alice and Ian from the Leeds Dock Running Club, Ian had recently completed 7 marathons in 7 days challenge, as well as once completing an entire marathon just on the racetrack at John Charles Centre for Sport. Alice, was also a total inspiration, having recently completed the Summer Spine Race, and the Dales High Way (as a training run?!). Her parents always accompanied her in their camper van, and were her ‘crew’ and support team, and enjoyed being able to see their daughter succeed in these epic challenges. I sadly didn’t run any laps with GOBYU regulars Darren and Eleanor. Eleanor who is our January Runner of the Month, was clearly in it for the long haul, managing a PB with 28 yards. The secret to going really long apparently, is to keep your laps slow – 55 minutes, with sections of walking. This was a difficult strategy to get my head around, but certainly seemed to be the case looking at the winners, and those who got through the 24 hours.

My last (and fastest) lap I did as a solo effort, having decided at the start that 12 was my limit, I decided that I was going to ‘go for it’… again something my knees later regretted. But as I lay tucked up in bed that night, head whirring and body aching, I couldn’t help thinking about those runners still out there, doing the same lap on the hour. It is hard not to feel emotional when considering the resolve of these people, many of which are just ordinary people, with jobs, children and other responsibilities, not elite athletes, but their sheer determination is so impressive.

 

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my 12-hour stint at the GOBYU, the crew were absolutely fantastic and the evident GOBYU community were such a friendly bunch. Whether you were doing your first marathon, 50km, 50 miles or 100 miles, everyone was super supportive of each other.

Don’t get me wrong, I am still very much a runner who enjoys the beauty of a linear trail, and have signed up for the Dales High Way (in usual post-run style). This will be 90-mile route with 14600 ft, starting in Saltaire and ending in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria. There is also the option of 104 miles if you fancy an extra challenge up High Cup Nick! This ‘race’, along with many others is organised by another excellent local Leeds events team Punk Panther.

I am also very tempted to try another GOBYU, this time doubling my target of 24 yards… (and a way better head torch to see me through the night). 

A huge thank you from Run Leeds to the GOBYU crew for putting on such a great event… hopefully see you all in 2024!