Who, What, Where, and Why

Timpanogos is a mountain known to all along the Wasatch Front. Mount Timpanogos Park is located at the base of this majestic mountain. It is here the Backyard Ultra will start and finish. You will be treated to amazing views of Mount Timpanogos, Cascade Mountain, and Provo Canyon. This Backyard Ultra will be challenging but rewarding. We hope you come out to push yourself and have a good time with friends and family at the finish line.

Created by Lazarus Lake, 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. Backyard Ultras are the buffet of running.

This race is a 4.167 mile alternating loop course that runners will do every hour. There is also a night course.

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

Day Course

Odd numbered laps will be run counter clockwise
Even numbered laps will be run clockwise

The course begins at Mount Timpanogos Park which is amazing in itself. The first part of the course is when you will do your climbing accumulating all of your elevation gain. Once on top, the next 1.5 miles is a flat trail great for running and making up time. All while taking in breathtaking vistas of the surrounding mountains. Finally you will begin your descent back to the park with a downhill section.

We did the different directions to switch it up but also take advantage of the different views.

4.167 miles and +686 ft elevation gain total
99% Trail, 1% Sidewalk?


Night Course

Out and back

If any runners are still standing by 10 pm they will begin the Night Course. This is for safety reasons given that most runners at this point will be hallucinating and seeing unicorns and rainbows. This course strolls through Mount Timpanogos Park and puts runners on the Provo River Parkway Trail. A paved trail that follows Provo Canyon and keeps runners safe away from the canyon traffic.

This course is actually really pretty but the truth is you won't be able to see anything anyway so take comfort in knowing it is a well paved trail with less elevation gain and tripping hazards!

4.167 miles and +229 ft elevation gain total
88% Paved Trail, 12% Sidewalk


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 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 +4,802 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 +8,232 ft elevation gain

9 pm - Loop 15 begins. This and loop 14 will be very scenic due to the sun setting.

10 pm - Night course begins with this loop due to safety reasons and to switch it up. If you have made it this far you will relish the easier course, we promise.

5 am - Cockadoodledoo! Back to the Day Course for a well earned sunrise on loop 24. Make you work for that coveted 100 miles.

24 loops completed is 100 miles +13,265 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

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 4:30 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. We have the entire park reserved for our use so there is plenty of room. We will have games like Cornhole setup. Backyard Ultras are all about coming together as a community and having a great time. Watching runners struggle is fun as well.

The Park
Mount Timpanogos Park is a huge and beautiful park. We will have the entire park reserved for our use. There will be pavilions, bathrooms, and a hosting hall that can provide indoor shelter. Please help us leave this park the way we found it. We want to be welcomed back each year. Park map and info can be found here.

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. Click here for more info!

Late Registration
Begins May 13th and closes May 31st at 11:59 pm

We cannot guarantee all participants registering after May 13th 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. This is also why this race is a little more expensive than our others. We try to make our races as affordable as possible but between the low cap and having to rent the entire park that is what we were left with. We are actually taking a risk in losing quite a bit of money if we don't have enough runners sign up so tell your friends and family!

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.

Must have fun.

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: 8:10 AM MT