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 races have exploded in popularity around the world. The race is simple and yet imbues everything a runner looks for in a race. We have taken the best parts of the backyard and added our own little twist with the Legacy loop at the end of each backyard event. Comradery, motivation, great outdoors, and food, lots of food.

This race is a 4.167 mile loop course that runners will do once every hour for either 6 hours total or 12 hours total
If you are unable to complete a loop in the hour or choose to not start a loop at the hour, you are removed from the race
All runners who complete at least 1 loop will receive a finishers medal
All runners who complete 50 miles miles will receive a custom leather patch beanie
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
Backyards require a sound strategy with how you manage your hour as well as being physically and mentally tough
Legacy loop will be the last loop in each race and will be timed to determine the overall winners

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.

12hr Backyard is for the runners who like pain but know when to go to sleep. 50 miles in 12 hours is again no easy feat and as of writing this seems to be the most popular choice.

6hr Backyard is for runners who want to see what this is all about. Maybe you just can't run in the morning so an afternoon and evening race is perfect.​

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

Awards

All runners who complete at least 1 loop will receive a finishers medal.

All runners who complete 12 loops will receive a leather patch beanie custom made to reflect their 50 mile accomplishment

1st, 2nd, and 3rd male and female will be determined first by distance completed. Should distance be the same then time on last completed will be taken into account to determine placement.

Course and Details - 4.167 Miles of Pure Joy

Course (See website for interactive course map)

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.

4.167 miles and +512 ft elevation gain total
99% Trail, 1% Fire road​

Itinerary​
7:00 am - First loop begins for 12hr​

3:00 pm - First loop begins for 6hr​​

6:00 pm - Legacy loop for 12hr runners. How much gas do you have left? Runners who finish 12 loops will have done 50 miles +6,144 ft elevation gain

8:00 pm - Legacy loop for 6hr runners. Who has the biggest kick? Runners will finish this loop just before it gets dark shortly after 9 pm. Runners who finish 6 loops will have done 25 miles +3,072 ft elevation gain​

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 snacks and food at the aid station for you. Come prepared with what you are used to having though. Better to have it and not need it. Come prepared for the worst and hope for the best!

General

Race
May 16th 2026
Starts and finishes at Butterfield Trailhead Regional Park
​
12 Hour Backyard will start 7:00 am
Early - $80(ends 11/17)
Normal Registration - $90
Late - $100(begins 4/16)

6 Hour Backyard will start 3:00 pm
Early - $60(ends 11/17)
Normal Registration - $70
Late - $80(begins 4/16)

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 5:30 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. Tailwind will be the electrolyte drink. We will order pizza at the conclusion of the 12hr backyard. If you have specific food you need be sure to bring it yourself to have at your tent. 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.

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! You can see a picture of what the finish line and tent area looks like if you check out the pictures above.

Navigation
Course is marked with pink flags, cones, and signs.

Parking
Free parking and plenty of it. Map will be sent out the week of the race with where we recommend parking. This will include location for runners to use and for crew/spectators to use.

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 $65 credit for any future Happy Trails race. Expires after one year. Click here for more info!

Late Registration
Begins April 16th and closes May 15th at 11:59 pm

We cannot guarantee all participants registering after April 17th 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
12hr will be capped to 120 runners.
6hr will be capped to 60 runners.
This is to prevent congestion on the single track trail. These numbers may change year to year based on runner feedback and observation
​
Weather
Average high is 71*F and average low is 51*F

Race Director - Don Hantla
801-230-5070
happytrailsrace@gmail.com

Legacy Loop

The last loop in the race will be timed and that time will be used to determine overall winners 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.

Legacy loop will always be timed even if only one runner remains

This is a key difference in our backyard races, the race will not end if only one runner remains in that distance unless they choose to drop before the legacy loop

This allows you to keep working on your goal and do what you signed up to do, run!

This is a backyard race blended with a timed race, best parts of both races

Rules

Runner must be in starting corral when each loop begins unless they wish to drop.
Warnings will be given 5, 2, and 1 minutes before the loop begins.
Except for restrooms, no leaving the course or receiving aid on the course once the lap begins. Exception being restrooms.
No artificial aid (including trekking poles) and no pacers allowed
Slower runners must allow passes
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 loop to do what you please.
Crew and support may come and go at the starting area.
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.

Loyalty Discount

Save $5 with code HAPPY if you plan to do more than one of our events this year or if you have referred a friend to sign up for one of our races this year. This code will stack with others such as NOSHIRT

Happy Trails Marathon 3rd Saturday April
Corner Canyon 5k Series May through Oct
Corner Canyon Half Series May through Oct
South Mountain Half 1st Saturday May
Butterfield Backyard 3rd Saturday May
Rose Canyon Ultra 1st Saturday June
Deer Creek Half 2nd Saturday July
Butterfield Canyon Half 3rd Saturday August
Jordan River Marathon 3rd Saturday September
Dimple Dell Half 2nd Saturday October
Jordan River Backyard 3rd Saturday October
Traverse Mountain Half 1st Saturday November

As a small company we depend greatly on word of mouth and runners coming back to run with us. This is another way we can say thank you! 

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: 11:02 AM MT