Sarah Perry x Legends Backyard Ultra

DAY 5 UPDATE - 29/04: The Legends Backyard Ultra is over with Polish athlete Lukasz Wrobel crowned the winner. He completed 114 laps before having to stop as no other runner was able to go any further with him.

The rules of backyard ultra running are that once the penultimate runner (called the assist) drops, the last remaining runner has to complete one more lap for the win. After that, the race is over.

This year’s assist was Oriol Antoli Sarrau, from Spain, with 113 laps, a new national record.

Lukasz’s personal best in the sport is 116 laps, set at Legends last year. At the time, that was a new world record. Since then, the world record has been extended out to 119 laps by Australian Phil Gore.

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Kit Sarah started Day 4 in: ROADFLY MAX | AIRLITE LS TEE | RACEPAC 10 | TRAIL SHORTS | RACE HEADBAND

DAY 4 UPDATE – 28/04, 3pm local time: Sarah Perry has bowed out of the Legends Backyard Ultra in Belgium having run an incredible 76 laps / 316 miles (500+ km).

The INOV8 athlete pushed herself to the limit and beyond in a bid to try and better her women’s world record of 95 laps, set last year at the sport’s individual world championships in America.

Having been on, as she called it, “the suffer bus” for most of day 4, Sarah returned early from lap 77 having made the difficult – but ultimately the right – decision to retire.

She returned to camp to huge applause from friends and fellow runners, before an emotional embrace with her partner Luke, who had expertly crewed her throughout.

With the race clock showing over 76 hours, Sarah wiped away the tears behind her sunglasses and smiled, her face and body covered in the dust and dirt accumulated over more than three days of running.

Wanting to show her support to the remaining 9 runners in the race, Sarah then took a seat close to the start/finish line. With a beer in one hand and a doughnut in the other, she cheered as runners she’d shared so many miles with returned from lap 77.

Sarah’s average lap time for the 76 she completed was 48:46. Her fastest was lap 4 (39:48) and her slowest was lap 66 (55:39).

During the third night and into day 4, her lap times had got slower, meaning she had less time to recuperate between the 4.167-mile laps, which start on the hour, every hour.

Unable to bank sleep, exhausted by the relentless heat, and having pushed her body further into the red than ever before, Sarah reluctantly called time on her epic Legends journey.

Her 76 laps is one of the best results ever recorded by a woman in backyard ultra running.

Our Communications Manager, Lee Procter, who was in Belgium supporting Sarah, said: “It was an incredibly brave run by Sarah, who could have honourably retired from the race earlier but pushed herself deep into the red until there was absolutely zero left in the tank.

“She is always a legend in our eyes and we couldn’t be prouder.”

The race continues in Belgium until just one runner – the winner – remains standing.

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Kit Sarah started Day 4 in: ROADFLY MAX | AIRLITE LS TEE | RACEPAC 10 | TRAIL SHORTS | RACE HEADBAND

DAY 3 REPORT – 27/04, 9pm local time: 59 hours on the clock and Sarah Perry – the last woman standing – is continuing to push towards her goal at Legends Backyard Ultra in Belgium.

Earlier, during the second night, Dutch runner Irene Kinnegim joined the DNF list after 37 laps and new personal best, leaving Sarah as the only remaining female.

A total of 104 runners (13 women and 91 men) started the race at 10am on Saturday. Now, with 59 laps of the 4.167-mile course completed, just 17 are left. Each has run an incredible 242 miles (390 km) so far.

Sarah’s goal is to try and break her own women’s backyard ultra world record of 95 laps, set in America last year, and potentially become the first woman to go past 100. She’s over halfway there but knows this is where the hard work really starts.

Day 3 was another hot one on the dusty trails, with the heat taking its toll on all the runners. For the laps under the mid-afternoon sun Sarah wore additional neckwear drenched in iced water. She also carried fluid in her RACEPAC 10 so she could drink on the course, and not just when resting between laps in her tent.

Running unsupported on the trails, the INOV8 athlete cut a focused figure all day. Yes, there were lots of smiles but plenty of steely looks too. At times Sarah ran listening to…. audio books about running! At other times she enjoyed bantering alongside fellow runners in a race full of camaraderie.

Speaking between laps 58 and 59 – while munching down jelly and fruit – Sarah was on fine form, despite having slept in only short bursts during two-and-a-half days. She cracked jokes about her support team and the colour of her ROADFLY MAX shoes, which started the day white and are now dusty grey.

Her average lap time for the race stands at 47:15, with her last 10 laps being 50+ minutes each. This was always expected – and planned for – as the miles add up. She’s found a pace and rhythm she’s happy with.

Among those left in the race with Sarah are five runners who have been beyond 100 laps previously – Lukasz Wrobel (Poland), Jan Vandekerckhove, Ivo Steyaert, Merijn Geerts (all Belgium) and Oriol Antoli Sarrau (Spain).

Indeed, in recent hours Sarah appears to have formed a strong partnership with Ivo and Merij, with the trio often finishing laps together.

A third night now awaits all those remaining. How many more days and nights will follow? That can only be answered when just one runner – the winner – is left standing. Stay tuned for more updates.

DAY 2 REPORT – 26/04, 9pm local time: 35 hours into the Legends Backyard Ultra and 29 of the original 104 runners remain in the race. All have now racked up 35 laps, equating to 144 miles (232km).

INOV8 athlete Sarah Perry, the women’s backyard ultra world record holder with 95 laps, remains strong. She expertly worked her way through the first night, then set about ticking off today’s laps amid red-hot conditions in north-east Belgium.

The consistent sunshine made for tough running over exposed dusty tracks, with relief found in the wooded section of each 4.167-mile lap.

With sunglasses on and Union Jack hair ribbons still in place, Sarah ran some laps side-by-side chatting to fellow runners, while she spent other laps alone listening to music.

Her average lap time throughout day two has been 48 minutes, giving her 12 minutes of rest in between each lap to power nap, refuel and occasionally receive a short massage.

Sarah is following a carefully planned nutrition schedule that includes many of her favourite foods and sweet treats, including pancakes and pretzels. Race organisers also handed out ice creams after lap 30, much to the delight of the runners.

As retired runners leave the camp (many wearing ‘You DNF’d Legends Backyard Ultra 2026’ T-shirts), the number of tents on site continues to fall. Excitement, however, continues to build, with knowledgeable crowds of friends and family cheering every runner across the timing mat each time.

Earlier in the day the 24-hour mark was reached and with it 100-mile mark too. Several runners chose to retire at this stage, adding to the many who had dropped out during the first night.

The remaining 29 have now started a second night of hourly repetitions on the road lap. Temperatures are much cooler and will continue to fall overnight.

Incredibly, this is still very much the early stages of a race that has no known finish. That will be decided only when just one runner is left standing. Sarah’s dream remains a new personal best and potentially becoming the first woman in history to break 100 laps. The long game continues.

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Kit Sarah started Day 2 in: TRAILTALON MAX | AIRLITE PRO TEE | WINDSHELL | TRAIL SHORTS | RACE HEADBAND

DAY 1 REPORT - 25/04, 9pm local time: 95 of the 104 starters remain in the Legends Backyard Ultra, with 11 laps now completed. Among those still standing is INOV8 athlete Sarah Perry, the women’s backyard ultra world record holder.

The race in north-east Belgium started at 10am. Runners from 16 countries took to the start line, with several already having 100+ lap results to their names.

Wearing Union Jack coloured hair ribbons and glittery face paint, Sarah buried herself deep into the pack of runners to start the first lap. A bell loudly rang and they were off – a race with no known finish was underway.

Just 40mins 41secs Sarah was back having cruised around the 4.167-mile trail lap over dusty bridleways and winding woodland paths.

She then enjoyed close to 20 minutes of relaxing and recuperating in her support crew tent – assisted as always by her partner Luke - before returning to the start line for lap 2, on the strike of the second hour.

As the sun broke through and temperatures began to rise, Sarah completed laps 2 and 3, again looking comfortable. Laps 4, 5, 6 and 7 followed with her lap times ranging between 39:48 and 43:37.

Runners switched from the daytime trail loop to the nighttime road loop after 9 laps. By the time lap 11 had started, everyone had their headtorches on under the dark, yet clear, skies.

Sarah remains strong and even bagged a short nap after lap 10. She’s fuelling well and has been buoyed further by messages from friends, family and even, it appears, Lazuras Lake, the famous creator of backyard ultra running.

In a message on the online tracking portal, ‘Laz’ wrote: “Your time to shine, you’ve prepared hard for this race, now go make history.”

Sarah’s dream is to try and break her own women’s world record of 95 laps and potentially push for a history-making 100. But this is a long game and there are many laps, hours and days to get through first. No-one is getting carried away at this stage.

The grassroots setting and community-led backyard environment are making for a unique feel, with support tents and friendly faces packing a small field encompassed by farmyard animals. Organisers are working hard to ensure all race rules are obeyed (one runner fell foul on lap 1 was disqualified), while also overcoming unexpected obstacles (a sewage tanker spilt some of its load nearby before the start).

Today has been day 1 of who knows how many, but this is a long-haul that everyone, including Sarah, is hoping to fly onboard deep into next week. For now, we head into the first night. Ultimately, in the end, just one runner – the winner – will be left standing.

Pre-Race Preview

In October 2025, Sarah Perry made history by breaking the women’s backyard ultra world record.

The INOV8 athlete completed 95 laps (known within the sport as yards) to total 395 miles and shatter the previous best of 87 set by American Megan Eckert.

A backyard ultra sees runners complete a carefully measured 4.167-mile course on the hour, every hour, until just one person – the winner – is left standing.

Sarah’s world record was set at the 2025 Big's Backyard Ultra Individual World Championships in Tennessee, US. It also remains a UK national record. In doing so, Sarah ran for almost four consecutive days, sleeping only in short naps in a tent between yards.

Not one to rest on her laurels, the English Lake District based 35-year-old – who balances running alongside working as a maths teacher in adult education – now dreams of bettering her own world record and, potentially, becoming the first woman to break 100 yards.

This week she will head to Belgium to take part in the Legends Backyard Ultra, starting on Saturday (April 25). There she will line-up alongside many experienced runners who have been beyond 100 yards, and on a course renowned as flat and fast.

Sarah will again be crewed in the tent by her partner Luke, with INOV8 there to add further support and document her progress throughout.

Backyard ultra running was devised by Lazarus Lake, the same man behind the notoriously tough Barkley Marathons, as a format that tests both physical and mental strength to the full.

Yards are often run on a trail loop during the day and a road loop at night. The men’s backyard ultra world record currently stands at 119 yards, set by Australian Phil Gore.

In a sport largely dominated by men, Sarah says she wants to “find her limits” in Belgium “show other women that they belong on the start line.”

Read more from Sarah in our pre-race Q&A.

How are you feeling ahead of Legends Backyard Ultra?

I'm both nervous and excited! There's such a lot of preparation for a Backyard as you're prepping for multiple days, so I do find the run up to the event quite stressful. But once we are there and everything is set up, I'll be looking forward to running and the excitement will really kick in.

I can't wait to run in Belgium, to meet lots of new runners and to catch up with some friends that I met at Big's Backyard Ultra. Being on the start line of a backyard ultra is the most exciting type of race for me because you're never sure what will happen or when the race will end – the possibilities are endless!

Why Legends Backyard Ultra - what is it about this event that appeals?

Legends is known to be a record-breaking course, which is probably due to it being flat and fast. Due to this, it attracts a lot of runners that have run 100+ yards, which means that I will likely have the opportunity to get a personal best, if everything goes to plan!

I'm also excited to see the Belgium team’s course and run with them. Belgium has some of the best backyard runners in the world and I'm hoping to learn lots from watching them in action. 

It's your first backyard ultra since Big’s and your world record. How do you reflect on that performance and the attention it brought?

Although I achieved much more than I imagined at Big's, I've still found it useful to look at the performance critically. A lot went well for me in America, but it was my first experience of racing outside of the UK and my first taste of venturing well into day three of backyard running. I learnt a lot from the experience and have tweaked my strategy accordingly.

I found the increased media attention quite overwhelming, but equally it was lovely that my story reached so far and I was very grateful for all the support. 

What is your goal at Legends Backyard Ultra? Are you dreaming of potentially breaking 100 yards?

I would absolutely love to get a backyard PB, break into that fourth day and, of course, join the 100-yard club – that would be incredible! Just 5 more yards sounds so easy, doesn't it?

The reality is that I have a full 95 hours to get through before I can even dream about that big 100. 

How important is it to you to inspire other women into the sport?

Women's representation is really important in ultrarunning. Backyard running in particular is such a male dominated area of running.

I hope to show other women that they belong on the start line.

How has your training gone since the start of 2026?

My training for Belgium has been very similar to my build up for Big's. I've trained hard throughout winter, but it's felt difficult alongside my work commitments compared to the run up to Big's, which included lots of summer training and lots of time off due to the holidays.

I've ticked off all the sessions and have put in the hours on the Lake District fells, on the treadmill and in the gym, so hopefully all the work pays off.

A big part of backyard running is the planning. I would say I've been able to put more time and effort into that this time, mostly because we'll be driving to Belgium (instead of flying) so have the luxury of being able to take all our own setup, kit and food. 

Do you also train for the mental aspect of the event and sleep deprivation?

The only way I prepare for the sleep deprivation is by banking lots of sleep in the run up to the event to make sure that I turn up well rested.

i don't train my mind as such, but I make sure I have all odd ends at work and home tied up so that I have nothing to worry about during the race. I'll also spend time during the taper thinking about what I want to get from the race. 

What learnings do you take from Big’s into Legends?

After Big's I made a long list of things to try in my next backyard. I had the opportunity to have a little peek at other runners’ setups, to see what they were eating and to watch their routines. I've got a few additional bits of kit which will make everything run a little bit smoother and have mixed up my fuelling strategy.

I'm lucky to be working with Torq now, so I'm excited to see how their sports nutrition will help me go the distance and help me keep taking on those carbs deep into the race. 

Your partner Luke will again crew for you - tell us about the crucial role he plays and those interactions in the tent.

I'd say our tent is quite quiet and relaxed. We have a plan in place, and we work through it calmly. Luke works well under pressure and is brilliant when the plan needs to go out of the window temporarily, he'll find a way to make things work and get me back out on to the next lap.

Your support crew is crucial to your success in the backyard format and I'm lucky to have my partner crewing for me. Luke understands more than anyone else the work that I've put in and what my goals mean to me.

Will your dog – and new INOV8 recruit - Murphy be there?

Murphy is taking his new INOV8 partnership very seriously and he has decided to drop out of crewing at Belgium, instead opting to go on a running training camp on the North Yorkshire Moors. He's a true professional athlete; we understand his decision and support him in reaching his goals. 

What do you love most about backyard ultra running and its quirks?

My favourite thing about the backyard is the unknown and the ability to 'find your limits’ – this is what drives me to keep running these crazy events!

Although I ran further than I ever dreamed I would at Big's, I remember being so disappointed when I stopped. Apart from the issue in my back, I still had it in my head and legs to keep running. So, in a way, I still haven't found my limits. 

What’s the one question people always ask you about backyard ultras?

I'm lucky to be working with Torq now, so I'm excited to see how their sports nutrition will help me go the distance and help me keep taking on those carbs deep into the race. 

Finally, what INOV8 key gear will you be trusting at Legends?

I'll be using the TRAILTALON MAX during the day on the trail circuit and the ROADFLY MAX during the night for the out and back on the road. I used Max shoes at Big's and loved them – they give me a bit more cushioning while still feeling light and flexible. I’ll also potentially have a new, unreleased shoe in the rotation.

As usual, I'll have my RACEPAC 8 for carrying any bits I may need later in the race. The CLIMASHELL PRO ALPHA jacket will be ready for the colder nights.