This unique event followed the backyard ultra format, a type of ultramarathon. Participants had to complete a 6.706 km loop every hour.
A new lap began every hour, and those who didn't finish the previous one were eliminated. This continued until only one runner remained, with all others designated as DNF (Did Not Finish).
New Yorkers Victor Zeitoune and Austin Lo conceived the "$1 Backyard Ultra" during a meal and quickly brought it to life.
"Underlying it all, for me, is the desire to share a sport that has changed my life", Lo wrote on Instagram.
The race took place in lower Manhattan. Runners looped from the West Side Highway in the West Village to the Staten Island Ferry terminal in Battery Park and back. Beyond the cash prize, runners earned rewards like a t-shirt after two laps and a camping chair after four.
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Kieran Calderwood won the 2025 Backyard Ultra and took home the 5 pot. |
Manhattan resident Kieran Calderwood won this year, completing 25 laps in 25 hours, covering 164.8 km. He claimed the $395 prize, all in $1 bills.
The backyard ultra world record remains with Australian Phil Gore, who ran 119 laps (798.02 km) at the Dead Cow Gully Backyard Ultra in late June.
While not grand in scale or prize money, the "$1 Backyard Ultra" proves that a simple idea and creative spirit can draw attention to and inspire street sports.
Hong Duy (Canadian Running Magazine)
