Backyard Ultra World Team Championship
The World Championship you run at home
It is the backyard world championship for nations. Each national team runs its own race, in its own country and at the same time, and the one whose 15 runners add up the most yards wins. The 2026 edition started on 17 October at 14:00 Madrid time.
How it is scored
The rules are those of any Lazarus Lake backyard: a 6.706 km loop every hour, on the hour, and anyone not on the line when the bell rings is out.
The country is credited with the yards of all its runners added together. It is not a relay: all 15 set off together at the first bell and each one runs until they drop. The last one standing in each country is its winner; the runner who stays with them until the penultimate loop is its assist.
- Runner A · last one standing
- 45
- Runner B · assist
- 44
- Runner C
- 30
- Runner D
- 24
- Team yards
- 143
Editions
- 2026 From 17 October · 67 countries Standings by country, last bell and runners still standing. Final
- 2024 19 October 2024
- Champion: Belgium, 1,147 yards
- 2nd: Australia, 971 yards
- 3rd: United States, 969 yards
Spain at the World Championship
You get into the national team on performance: by winning a silver ticket race, which gives a direct place, or through the national list, with the country’s best yards within the qualifying cycle. In 2024 Spain totalled 636 yards and its best performance was José Manuel Ruiz Verdugo’s, 62 yards.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Backyard World Team Championship?
It is the world championship for nations in Lazarus Lake’s format (Big's Backyard Ultra World Team Championship). Each national team, of up to 15 runners, runs its own backyard in its own country, all at the same time, and the one that adds up the most yards across all its runners wins.
Is it a relay competition?
No. Each team’s runners set off together at the first bell and each one keeps going until they are eliminated, as in any backyard. Nobody runs in someone else’s place: the country is credited with the yards of all its runners added together.
Who wins within each country?
Each national race is a full backyard: the last one standing is its winner and the runner who stays with them until the penultimate loop is its assist. But for the World Championship what counts is the team’s total, not who wins its race.
When is the 2026 Backyard World Team Championship?
The start was on Saturday, 17 October 2026, at 14:00 Madrid time (12:00 UTC). 67 countries and 990 runners took the start.
How do you get into the Spanish team?
By winning a silver ticket race, which gives a direct place, or through the national list, with the country’s best performances in yards within the qualifying cycle. Each team has 15 places.
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