Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra: Maggie Guterl focused on 100 hours in Tennessee at the race with no end
- The 2019 champion is back and this time Maggie Guterl wants to break the record by 32 hours and make sure there is a US champion
- Runners complete a 6.7km loop on the hour, every hour, until there is just one person standing
Maggie Guterl is returning to the race with no end, but her goals are far more lofty than defending her title, or even just setting the record. She wants to last for 100 hours.
Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra is one of the most intimidating concepts in running. Participants have one hour to complete a 6.7km loop. If they finish in 30 minutes, they have a 30-minute rest. If they take 55 minutes, they have a five-minute rest. So long as they are on the start line, ready to go again at 60 minutes, the pace is up to them. The runners then keep going until there is just one runner left. The winner is only allowed to complete one more lap than the second-placed runner and it’s all over.
The longest anyone has lasted is 68 hours – Johan Steene in 2018 – which amounts to 455km. He beat Courtney Dauwalter who, at 67 hours, has gone the longest of any women. Guterl lasted 60 hours last year, becoming the first woman to win Big Dog’s (although other women have won races of the same format, Big Dog’s is considered the most competitive).
“I’m going into it like I did last year and the goal is to go beyond 400 miles (643km, 100 hours). Guillaume [Calmettes, 2017 champion, 59 hours] started the 400 miles chat, I’m not sure if he was joking or not, but I think we can one day do that. I’m not sure if this will be the year, but I think it’s a really high goal,” Guterl, 39, said.
“I want to get to that 400 miles, or 100 hours. I have the desire to see what that’s like and if we can get there. That is primary goal. And then secondary, is to see if anyone is still with me and keep going.”