For those of you who have not heard of the ‘God’s Own Backyard Ultra’ before, it is a form of ultramarathon race where competitors must consecutively run the distance of 6,706 meters  (4.17 miles) in less than one hour, each lap is known as a yard and starts on the hour, every hour.  The race is over when only one runner remains to complete a lap. This runner is marked as the winner and only finisher, with all other runners receiving a “DNF”. Sounds like a challenge not for the faint hearted!

Darren, who entered the Leeds – God’s own Backyard ultra, which took place at Hunters Greave Scouts camp, Kirkstall, just outside Leeds. Has kindly shared his story (and race day play list!) with Run Leeds. The race started at 8am on Saturday 5th November 2022, with the race entry including camping from the Friday night until whenever you needed it.

This is how Darren got on (in his own words…)

 

So, so you think you can tell

Heaven from hell?

Blue skies from pain?

Can you tell a green field

From a cold steel rail?

A smile from a veil?

Do you think you can tell?

 

@Wish you were here, Pink Floyd

 

Low mist envelopes the canal. Ahead of me bobbing torchlight, behind me bobbing torchlight. I’m laughing to myself, and yet fighting back the tears. It’s early November – the 5th to be precise. God’s Own Backyard Ultra moved to night yards a few hours before. I’m still going. I know I’m never going to win this, but right now I feel like a champion. Nothing matters now. Just one step at a time. How long will I keep running? I don’t know. How long will the event keep going, well… no one knows. 

 

The rules are simple. 4.2miles/6.7km (ish) on the hour every hour until you quit. Only one winner, everyone else is a DNF. In this case Iain Bethune and his 37 hours of running. With Luke Carter as the assist – without the assist it’s all over. Someone needs to finish second! – do the maths that’s 37 x 6.7 near as damn it.

 

A year before I had entered the inaugural event. How hard can it be to run just a wee bit more than a 5km park run every hour – I will keep on km because that is the default on my watch and I’m too lazy to change it. – turns out a year ago just over 50km timed me out, the day laps. Whilst I wasn’t the first to DNF I sure felt out of my depth. I felt every runner was better than me. It took me a year to realise this isn’t really the point, at least for me. The point is to step up to the arena, to face each hour just one more time. 

 

Some people run the route and allow 20 minutes rest. Some allow way less, 5 mins perhaps, some cut it to the wire and leave 1 minute before they turn and go out again – you cannot sit a lap out, you either quit or you line up.

 

The route starts at Hunters Greave Scout campsite heading left and then to the canal before it crosses the bridge in Kirkstall and makes its way into the woodland and canalside field before the ascent and descent in Bramley falls park then back to base. The night route is a simple out and back along the towpath. It could be a loop, it makes no difference as I could only see my feet in the mist.

 

The hour is almost up, songs have been on random rotation in my head-phones. I can see the ghostly figure of an event marshall at the start/finish grid. I look at my watch 55 minutes gone. I cross the line, grab a handful of crisps and down a small pot of custard before lining back up again. The whistle sounds and I shuffle off again, once more into the darkness. The perky beats of the Jackson Five replaced by Queen. This would be the final time I left the grid.

 

Do you think you’re better every day?
No, I just think I’m two steps nearer to my grave

Keep yourself alive, c’mon
Keep yourself alive

 

@Keep yourself alive, Queen

 

Thanks for sharing your race experience, Darren. An impressive effort from all that took part – well done guys! 

The image used is the ’24 club’, those that reached 24 hours /100 miles. This is courtesy of Gavin Birkett.