A backyard ultra is a running race like no other. It’s format – from the mind of Barkley Marathons creator Lazarus Lake – is cruelly brilliant.
Runners complete a 4.167-mile loop (called a ‘yard’) every hour, on the hour, until each taps out. The winner is the last one standing.
With no predetermined finish line, a backyard ultra can last the best part of a week – as was the case at the 2026 Legends Backyard Ultra in Belgium.
A total of 104 endurance runners from 16 countries took to its start line. A full four days later – with 96 hours showing on the race clock – five runners remained.
Into day five and eventually it was down to two – Lukasz Wrobel (Poland) and Oriol Antoli Sarrau (Spain). When an exhausted Oriol retired with a national record of 113 yards, Lukasz completed one final yard alone to take the win.
And that itself is perhaps the cruellest of Laz’s backyard ultra twists. Lukasz looked like a man who could have kept going, a man who could have exceeded Phil Gore’s world record of 119 yards.
But no. As per the rules of the sport, once the penultimate runner (called the assist) drops, the last remaining runner completes one more yard for the win. After that, the race is over. No more yards can be run.
With an incredible 474 miles (764 km) in his legs, Lukasz was crowned Legends victor for a second successive year, his world record bid culminating just six yards short.
The women’s world record holder – INOV8 athlete Sarah Perry – amassed a superb 76 yards in Belgium before retiring as the last woman standing. She had dreamed of exceeding her best of 95 yards, set at Big’s Backyard Ultra in 2025, but it was not to be.
Sarah’s result was the joint-fourth best-ever by a woman. Sleep deprivation, physical exhaustion and oppressive heat all eventually took their toll.
Throughout the five days, camaraderie shone through brighter than anything else, with runners supporting each other yard after yard to push their limits.
In between yards, individual support teams – made up of family and friends – worked quickly to refuel and remotivate their loved ones ahead of returning them to the start line on strike of each hour.
A true rollercoaster of emotions filled with blood, sweat and tears – this year’s Legends perfectly epitomised everything that is brilliantly cruel about the sport of backyard ultra running.
Photographer Jacob Zocherman was there from start to finish and shares with us a collection of his favourite photos.
Sarah and fellow runners ready for battle.
Dust off the trail made for car graffiti.
From Mexico, the mum of Rodolfo Leonides bringing the energy.
ROADFLY™ MAX. Started white. Finished grey.
Sarah's partner Luke waits nervously for her to return from another lap.
Another hour, another lap about to start.
The sun starts to set on another tough day.
Race organisers sing and cheer as runners pass.
Sarah's team - plus others - work together to help cool her down.
An emotional end for Sarah - and Luke - following an incredible 76 yards.
104 started. At this stage, just eight remained.
100 hour barrier is broken. Four runners made it.
Last one standing, Lukasz Wrobel.
