Freedom Backyard Ultra Marathon 2026
Backyard Ultra Rules
Course:
Loop or out and back
Must be 4 miles 880 feet in length
Metric equivalent 6.7056 kilometers
Starting Corral:
Measured to fit entire starting field
Corral stays the same size throughout the event
Participants must be inside the corral at the bell
Starts:
Each Yard starts precisely one hour after the last
Warning must be given 3, 2, and 1 minute before the bell
All competitors must start at the bell (No late starts)
Yards:
Except for restroom breaks a competitor cannot leave the course until the Yard is complete
No non-competitors on the course (including eliminated runners)
No personal aid during a Yard
Each Yard must be completed in less than an hour to be counted
No artificial aids (including trekking poles)
Slower runners must yield/allow passes
Timing:
Keeping lap times is optional
Winner/Results:
The winner is the last person to complete a Yard
All others are technically DNF
Results of each participant in terms of Yards completed are to be given
If no participant can complete one more yard than anyone else there is no winner
Cap:
Race must be open ended
Location
The Freedom Backyard Ultra Marathon 2026 will take place at the Missouri Freedom Camp, Bourbon Mo.
Address:
5992 Highway C, Bourbon, Mo
Lodging:
There will be onsite camping available. There are hotels 15 minutes from the race site located in Sullivan, Mo.
Race Swag
There can only be ONE winner (assuming they finish their last lap)!
Race shirts will be provided to racers that sign up before May 6th. Registrations after May 6th are not guaranteed a shirt.
There will be race pre-dinner the night before at the Missouri Freedom Camp for all racers. The dinner will start at 6:00 p.m. and we will do a short race brief to answer any questions about the course or rules.
Course
The course is a 4.1 mile loop through undulating Midwest terrain. There are rolling hills, creek crossings, fields, and small gravel road portions. All trails are wide enough for UTV's. Some trails are rocky and root covered. Most of the wooded trails are technical.
50% of the course is wooded and shaded during the day. The corral will be located at the barn next to the farm house. All aid stations will be located at the barn. There will be small water points along the course.
There will be a main aid station located at the barn that will have food and drinks available for the racers during the entire duration of the event.
Info
For more info check out our website: https://marathon-patriotic-video.deploypad.app/
Point of contacts:
Race Director: Mark Schmitz - 636.262.9712
Course Manager: Drake Bequette - 910.478.7669
Race Day
Race day registration and packet pickup will be from 6-7 a.m. at the farm house at the Missouri Freedom Camp on June 6th 2026.
Pre-race brief and opening ceremony will begin at 7:30 a.m. at the starting corral on June 6th.
The race will begin at 8:00 a.m. sharp on June 6th. Anyone who misses the race start time will be considered a DNS.
The Cause
Why do you Endure?
Freedom 13 Mission:
OUR MISSION IS SIMPLE BUT ENORMOUS
50 Camps in 50 States on over 50,000 acres of land with 650 homes being built (13 on each camp) for veterans, police officers and their families to use like an Airbnb. Each camp will enable us to service up to 624 families per year. Once we have all 50 camps completed that means we will be able to assist 31,200 families annually.
Each of the Camps will be a safe haven for veterans, police officers and their families, consisting of 13 homes. Each Camp will made up of varying sizes of 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom homes and most will be ADA compliant
While each Camp will be unique, all Camps will offer a variety of recreational activities like hiking, camping, fishing, kayaking, UTV riding trails, shooting ranges, swimming and more. Fire pits, a gazebos and other amenities will make The Freedom 13 Recreational Retreats a great place to recharge and renew.
We'll also be partnering with independent Service Organizations to bring assistance programs such as:
~ Mental Health Counseling (PTSD, suicide prevention etc.)
~ Job training, search and placement
~ Service dogs placement
To learn more about The Recreational Camps Project, click here.
If you'd like to join our camp sponsorship program you can sign up below by clicking donate. All we ask is for a $13/month recurring donation.
Find out more about the cause: https://thefreedom13.org/
Refunds
There will be no refunds. All proceeds are donated to the Freedom 13 Organization.
Event's current local time: 4:09 AM CT
