Coalfields Backyard Ultra

Welcome!

The 5th Edition of Coalfields Backyard Ultra is West Virginia's only backyard ultra. The race will take place on Memorial Day weekend, starting Friday, May 28 at 7pm. The Coalfields Backyard Ultra is a Lazarus Lake-sanctioned event through the Backyard Ultra. Date: May 28(Memorial Day Weekend) Time: 7:00pm start Location: Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College Format: Last Runner Standing Description: Participants will run every hour on our 4.1667 mile, down and back loop. Be prepared. Most Backyard Ultras can take place for 3 days or more. Prep your crew and the essentials you need during the weekend. 2023 Coalfields Backyard winner: Matthew Young from Hurricane, WV with 75 miles, 18 yards, 13:55 with the assist from Clay Smith. 2024 CBU winner: Ben Brucker from PA with 58.33 miles and assist by Joel Murch-Shafer. 2025 CBU Winner: Joelle Fenton fro NY with 125 miles and assist by Douglas Songer; 2026 winner - Steven McMillian and assist by Steven Neil Johnson

Timing

We will have Brunning Endurance Timing company to help us count each yard with an updated TV screen/laptop. We will also provide live results and live video feed

In the process of getting Bronze status

We are in the process of getting Bronze status for 2027. We will update you. We definitely would love to have you use this race as a trainer or a stepping stone towards other Backyards.

Course info

The course has been measured to be 4.1667 (2.08 miles down and 2.08 miles back). The course takes place at Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College (1601 Co Hwy 52/27, Williamson, WV 25661). Participants make their way out of the parking lot onto to asphalt course along the West Williamson Flood wall river path. At the end of the path, they will pass Williamson PK-8 school (gravel road) and run through a neighborhood division, pass a recreation area/community center to the turnaround point at 2.08 miles. The course is very flat and challenging being on asphalt. The course will be well-marked with cones, directional arrows, and any type of markers. We will only have one aid station at the start/finish line. No artificial aid is allowed on the course such as your team coming to meet you on the course. Each participant will come back to the start/finish line. We will have aid such as water, and hydration, food, and porta potties. Participants are allowed to have their own aid and supplies for the event to keep them going. Participants can set up camp at the start/finish line for them to rest within how many minutes they arrive from their loop. There is one section of the course where the path can be very saturated. If it comes to that, we will redirect the course to the other side of the guardrail. Just follow the same flow as the course goes. Again, only if rains a lot during the weekend.

Pricing tiers

Registration - May 27-Dec 31 - $130 Next Tier - Jan 1-April 30 - $140 Next Tier - May 1 to May 27 - $150 May 22, race day - $180

Backyard Ultra Rules

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 I agree with these rules. 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) I agree with these rules. 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. I agree with these rules. 5. Timing Timing of the loops is optional I agree with this rule. 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.

Coalfields Backyard Rules

Race begins every hour. The goal is not about who is the fastest, but how long can you push yourself during the Memorial Day Weekend. The yards will accumulate each hour with your mileage being added. At each hour, we will have a warning system before each lap begins. We will ring a bell: -3 min before -2 min before -1 min before we start the loop. 30 seconds will be announced before the start • We will have a 10-second countdown before the start • START (Bell will be rung) - You have one hour to finish the loop. If you make it in time to the start/finish line, the participants can rest in between before the next loop begins at the top of the hour. Participants can go rest at their station, eat, use the restroom, etc before we begin again. - We will put porta potties at both ends of the course and also have the Tech building open for restrooms and food. - If you do not make it back to the top of the hour, then you are considered a "DNF." Please do let our race organizers know if you are dropping out of the race. If there are 2 people left on the course and the other one DNFs, the lone participant must finish the loop to be considered the winner and Last Runner Standing. - Those who are DNF will receive a unique item.

Food and camping

We still would like participants to be prepared to bring their own snacks, other foods, and other types of hydration. We will have Food offered from local restaurants and from locals in the community. We will have water, gatorade and forms of hydration on site, just in case. Participants and crew can set up the day before.