Who, What, Where, and Why
Butterfield Trailhead Regional Park sits in the shadow of Kennecott Mine and the Oquirrh Mountains. This park is new and designed to give access to the new Butterfield Trail system as well as host events both big and small. We will be setup in the event parking which will provide plenty of room for Backyard runners to get comfortable and settle in for the long and fun day. We hope you come out to push yourself and have a good time with friends and family at the finish line.
Backyard Ultras have exploded in popularity around the world. The race is simple and yet imbues everything a runner looks for in a race. Comradery, motivation, great outdoors, and food, lots of food.
This race is a 4.167 mile alternating loop course that runners will do once every hour.
Check out website for course map and course details
The goal is to push yourself to new limits. You will never know how far you can run until you try.
Finish line becomes home base. Fun for friends and family to come cheer you on and hang out.
With a Backyard Ultra you get to run across the finish line as many times as you are capable.
You don't have to be the fastest runner to win or do well.
Backyards require a sound strategy with how you manage your hour as well as being tough.
Last man and woman to complete their final loop is when the race ends
Seriously though, when we first heard of this new race idea we thought it was crazy. The more we thought on it the more we realized just how amazing and fun this kind of setup is.
Runners of all levels can participate, great way to push yourself to new limits, and the finish line turns into the best aid station you ever had. What better way to spend your Saturday than hanging out with fellow runners in the great outdoors.
Give the Backyard Ultra a try, you might just enjoy it. Makes for a great story!
We recommend viewing our website for more information including course map and details as well as other races we offer! www.happytrailsrace.com
Course and Details - 4.167 Miles of Pure Joy
Course
Odd numbered laps will be run counter clockwise
Even numbered laps will be run clockwise
The course begins at Butterfield Trailhead Regional Park. This trailhead offers direct access to the amazing Butterfield trail system. You will follow a well made and smooth trail that climbs slowly over the first 2 miles. Once you have reached the halfway mark you will begin the downhill part of the course on great and easy to follow trails. These trails wind through beautiful and dense foliage offering terrific views.
We will alternate directions each hour to switch it up but also take advantage of the different views. The map below shows the counter clockwise profile.
4.167 miles and +6454 ft elevation gain total
99% Trail, 1% Fire road
Itinerary
6 am - First loop (counter clockwise odd numbered loop) begins, completing this is a distance greater than a 5k.
7 am - Second loop (clockwise even numbered loop) begins, completing this is a distance greater than a 10k
9 am - Fourth loop begins, completing this is a distance greater than a Half Marathon
12 pm - Seventh begins, completing this is 29.2 miles +3,178 elevation gain, more than a Marathon!
1 pm - Eight loops completed makes you an official Ultrarunner with 50k+
6 pm - Loop 12 begins, complete this and you are halfway to 100. 50 miles +5,448 ft elevation gain
9 pm - Loop 15 begins. This and loop 14 will be very scenic due to the sun setting.
5 am - Last loop before you can say you ran 100 miles in under 24 hours.
24 loops completed is 100 miles +10,896 ft elevation gain, you are a lean mean running machine who feels no pain.
6 am - Have you seen the movie Ground Hog Day? We keep at this until only one runner is left standing.
Summary
Plan for a day filled of fun in the mountains. We recommend bringing some sort of hydration such as a camel back or water bottle. We will have some snacks and food but again come prepared with what you are used to having. You can always leave it at the park. Better to have it and not need it. Come prepared for the worst and hope for the best!
General
Race
June 1st 2024 starts and finishes at Butterfield Trailhead Regional Park
Early Registration - $85
Registration - $95
Late Registration - $105
Packet pickup
Friday 3 pm to 6 pm at the Sandy Salt Lake Running Store 8946 S State St, Sandy, UT 84070.
Race day pickup starts at 5:00 am.
We recommend all runners arrive at least 45 minutes before the race begins to ensure a stress free and smooth start if you do not pickup your bib the day before. Pre-race announcement 15 minutes before start time.
Food
We will be providing all kinds of snacks at the finish line just like you would see at any Ultramarathon aid station. Gatorade will be the electrolyte drink. We will also be ordering lots of random stuff as the day goes on like pizza, sandwiches, donuts, cookies, etc. If you have a request let us know. We want the finish line to be a party and the race director does love food.
Finish Line
Make it a party. Bring your friends and family. There is plenty of room to setup tents, chairs, etc. Feel free to bring outside games as well. Backyard Ultras are all about coming together as a community and having a great time. Watching runners struggle is fun as well.
The Park
Butterfield Trailhead is a new Regional Park located in Herriman City that is maintained by Salt Lake County. This park was designed with events in mind and can hold thousands if the venue calls for it. This amount of space means we will have plenty of room to spread out and get comfortable for a day of fun and running! Park map will be sent out the week of the race to inform runners where they can park and setup.
Awards
Only two people will be going home with an award. The last woman standing and the last man standing. Everyone else will receive a DNF (Did Not Finish) medal. Not finishing has never been so much fun.
Word of mouth
Friends and family are the best way to promote this race. Running is much more fun with a buddy and people cheering you on!
Volunteers
These events are not possible without help! To show our appreciation all volunteers will receive a free race entry for any future Happy Trails race. Expires after one year.
Late Registration
Begins May 1st and closes May 31st at 11:59 pm
We cannot guarantee all participants registering after May 1st will be able to order a shirt. We will order extra to do our best to accommodate late registration. If we do not have your size or you do not want a shirt you can use code NOSHIRT at checkout for $10 off registration.
Capacity
This race will be capped to 100 runners the first year. This is so we can assess how busy the trails are with each wave start.
Rules
Runner must be in starting corral when each loop begins unless they wish to drop.
No leaving the course or receiving aid on the course once the lap begins.
Loop must be completed in the hour to receive credit for that loop.
When you finish your lap you may use the time you have until the next lap to do what you please.
Crew and support may come and go.
Plenty of space to setup, get cozy, and make some new friends. Can not block the course or starting corral in anyway.
Weather
Average high is 78*F and average low is 56*F
Race Director - Don Hantla
801-230-5070
happytrailsrace@gmail.com
About
At Happy Trails Running we focus on a beautiful course and an amazing experience. We want our races to be events that runners look forward to every year. We believe in quality over quantity which is why we cap all races at 300 or less participants. This lets us hold races in unique areas that would be off limits to large race due to parking and trail capacity.
We also believe in keeping everything local. This enables us to both support our community but also keep costs down. We want our races to be simple, affordable, and convenient for runners. You won't find huge expos at our races, just local businesses, friends, and family having a great time!
If there is anything we can do to improve your experience with our races please reach out to us. We are always trying to improve our events. Your feedback, what you liked and did not like, is the best way to achieve this.
Our courses will not focus on setting PR's with mostly downhill running but instead on enjoying all of the beautiful trails the Wasatch Front area has to offer. We hope our races will make lasting memories and experiences for all of our runners.
If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you!
We hope to see you at the races or on the trails. Until then, Happy Trails!
Event's current local time: 10:09 AM MT
