Backyard pace calculator
How many yards you want to last, and what pace to set off at each hour.
6.71 km4.167 miles
The format’s distance: every backyard runs the same loop.You set your pace in ‘Your pace, instantly’: change whichever of the three you’re surest of – pace, loop time or rest – and the other two recalculate on their own.
With your pace set, the next step is the sheet you take to the race: build your lap plan with the start time of every loop, the cumulative kilometres and your aid station stops.
Frequently asked questions
How is pace worked out in a backyard ultra?
Each yard is one loop of the official 6.706 km (4.167-mile) course, which has to be completed within the hour. Your pace per km decides how long the loop takes you and, therefore, how long you rest before the next start: rest = 60 min − loop time.
How much rest should I leave per loop?
Whatever is left of the hour once you finish the loop: finish it in 50 minutes and you have 10 left; finish it in 55 and you have 5. There is no general figure – in the only published tracking of a full backyard, rests averaged 12.4 minutes but ranged from 1.1 to 25.8 – so the margin you need is something you measure by timing your own transitions. The calculator shows you the exact rest for your pace.
How far do you cover in 24 yards?
24 yards on a 6.706 km course add up to 160.9 km, that is, 100 miles in 24 hours. It’s the classic milestone of ultrarunning.
What if a coach fine-tuned your pace?
We take these numbers to your specific race: pace, rest and hour-by-hour strategy.