The Backyard Ultra is a unique ultramarathon format where runners must complete a 6.706 km loop every hour. A new loop begins each hour, and anyone who fails to finish a loop within the hour is eliminated. This process repeats until only one runner remains, the others being designated as DNF (Did Not Finish).

The Dead Cow Gully Backyard Ultra began on 21/6 with 263 runners competing in the morning mist that shrouded the course, situated on a cattle property in Nanango, Queensland, Australia.

Phil Gore (left) and Sam Harvey both completed 117 laps to break the Backyard Ultra record. Photo: Dead Cow Gully

Phil Gore (left) and Sam Harvey both completed 117 laps to break the Backyard Ultra record. Photo: Dead Cow Gully

After more than 20 hours, around 100 athletes were still completing hourly laps at the Runnymede farm. By the evening of 23/6, that number had dropped to 13, then to 8, and finally to 4.

Gore and Sam Harvey were the last two standing, both completing 108 laps to break the previous world record. The former record was held by Lukasz Wrobel, who ran 777 km in 116 consecutive hours at the Legends Backyard Belgium the previous month.

Both Gore and Harvey started lap 119. However, Harvey lost his ability to run, staggering on the track before collapsing. Delirious and in pain, he was taken off the course and brought back to the starting line.

Meanwhile, Gore continued strongly, finishing the final 6.706 km loop in under 34 minutes. He set a new world record, covering 798.02 km in 5 days.

Dead Cow Gully is held on a working cattle farm owned by the race director Tim Walsh’s family since the 1800s.

The race's unique name originates from a true event: a cow once fell into the gully near the creek on the course and was found a week later, trapped in the tree roots above the water. That same gully is now part of the grueling course that runners must conquer – a place where the sun scorches during the day and the cold bites at night.

Each participant receives a cattle tag to hang on a board. Upon quitting, they remove their tag until only one remains. The winner receives a special cup, handcrafted from 80-year-old fence posts taken directly from the land they just conquered – a tribute to the history and spirit of the area.

Compiled by Hong Duy