When

Saturday, June 20, 2026 at 8:00 am. The event goes until only one person is standing.

Where

The Sparks Backyard Ultra will be held at beautiful Sparks Marina located at 300 Howard Drive, Sparks, Nevada 89434. The marina is the centerpiece of our races and provides a beautiful backdrop, while exemplifying everything that makes Sparks special: a community that celebrates outdoor recreation, supports athletic excellence, and warmly welcomes visitors from around the country.

What

Sparks Backyard Ultra is a qualifying event! Since the race is an official member of the Backyard Ultra Association, all Sparks Backyard Ultra entrants are eligible to earn a spot on the National Team for the Satellite Team Championships and the World Individual Championships at Big Dog's Backyard in Bell Buckle, TN.
We are also offering mini-Backyard races of 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours. The same rules apply except these races end at your chosen time. There is no winner. You either finish your time or DNF if you don't run until the end of your chosen race time. These mini races are designed to introduce newcomers to the sport of ultra running in general and backyard ultras specifically. If you are up for 24 hours or more, you should enter the open ended Backyard Ultra race.

Why

The Sparks Backyard Ultra will be a great opportunity to reach new distances and achieve a personal record. Your fellow runners will energize and incentivize you to go further and do better than you ever thought possible.

Sparks Backyard Ultra Course

Participants run a 4.167 mile course every hour until only one person is standing. At the Sparks Marina, this segment is a little over 2 laps. If you finish the 4.167 mile distance (called a "yard") within the hour, you can run the next yard. If you do not finish the yard within the hour, you are out of the race. The 4.167 mile length is by design. Each lap of a Backyard Ultra evenly divides a 100 mile distance into 24 one-hour segments. Since each loop around the Sparks Marina is 1.95 miles, the course will have an additional short loop at the beginning of each yard to ensure the 4.167 mile distance is accurate. This will be a short loop around the Veteran's Plaza and Peninsula. We will have signs to guide runners, however after the first yard you will know the course and be able to follow without hesitation.

Sparks Backyard Ultra Aid Stations

We will provide water, ice, and Heed, as well as normal aid station fare (pretzels, chips, gu, etc.). We will have tents, chairs, and cots. You can bring your own aid station if you choose (pop-up, chairs, etc.) and whatever other drinks and food you want for the race. There will be food trucks at the venue during normal meal times and you can pay for what you order.

Sparks Backyard Ultra Rules

1. Except for bathroom breaks, a competitor cannot leave the course until the yard is completed.

2. No personal aid during a yard. After completing a yard, the runner may go to their personal aid station for food, drinks, rest, and comfort.

3. Each yard must be completed in less than one hour to be counted.

4. No artificial aids allowed, including trekking poles.

5. Slower runners must yield to faster runners.

6. The winner ins the last person to complete a yard. All others are technically DNF.

7. If no participant can complete one more yard than anyone else, there is no winner.

Sparks Backyard Ultra Awards

We will give awards and provide cool race swag. Everyone who reaches 100 miles receives a belt buckle and 100-mile finisher flannel shirt.

Every entrant who finishes at least five yards will receive a Finishers Award.

The overall winner, the Last Person Standing, receives a first place award. The second place receives the Assist Award. In addition, the top three males and top three females receive awards.

For the Mini Backyard: Every runner who finishes their chosen time receives an award.

Questions / Contact

Contact us with questions at https://www.biggestlittleultra.com/contact or via email to toddleigh1@gmail.com

Event's current local time: 10:52 AM PT