BackYard Nonsense

Get ready to lace up your shoes and hit the trails, we are thrilled to invite you to an exhilarating running event on Saturday, June 6, 2026! Join us at the stunning Richard Bong State Recreation Area for a day and night filled with adventure, camaraderie, good vibes, and unforgettable memories. Whether you're a seasoned ultra marathoner or a passionate trail runner looking to push your limits, this event is designed for all skill levels and all the beautiful weirdos who love running in circles.

Discover the breathtaking landscapes of Richard Bong and Vern Wolf Lake, featuring rolling hills, scenic vistas, and nature's best offerings along our meticulously marked courses.

Event Highlights:

Five Race Options: Choose from the Backyard 24, or challenge yourself with the 3-hour, 6-hour, 12-hour, or 24-hour Ultra distances. Even if you don't think you can complete the full time, you are welcome to push yourself to go as far as you want to. We believe everyone belongs on the trails!

Two Ways to Go 24: Not sure which 24-hour option is for you? Here's the breakdown. The Backyard 24 is the classic backyard-style format, run a 4.1-mile loop every hour on the hour, stay in as long as you can, and whoever is left standing in the final hour will race to the finish. Last one running wins. Prefer to set your own pace? The 24-Hour Ultra lets you run continuously for the full 24 hours and rack up as many miles as you can.

Race Start: The gun goes off at 8:00 AM on Saturday, June 6th. and ends at 8am on Sunday June 7th.

Bring Your Crew, Seriously: We have both group campgrounds reserved, so your family is absolutely welcome to join you for the weekend. Whether they're cheering you on, pacing you through the night, or just enjoying the outdoors while you do your thing, there's room for everyone. Home base will have everything you need to keep you and your people comfortable between loops.

Stunning Scenery: Experience the natural beauty of the recreation area while getting in touch with nature and embracing your inner trail-blazing self.

Mark your calendars, rally your friends and your family, and prepare for an incredible day of lighthearted running nonsense on the trails. Keep an eye on our website for more details about registration, course information, and accommodations. Let's make this an unforgettable celebration of endurance, passion for running, and the beautiful chaos that is ultra running.

We can't wait to see you there! Happy Trails!

CUSS Running, State Park Fee

Those coming to race or support the racers will need to have a 2026 Wisconsin State Park pass for their vehicle. Those who don't have one can purchase a day pass at the park entrance.

CUSS Running

Curious Ultrarunner's Secret Society was established to inject a sense of whimsy into training calendars, split times, and fartleks. Our goal is to build a community that creates a space for the individual to fall in love with the magic of running.

Mission

To help others fall in love with ultrarunning.

Vision

To make you & the world slightly better through laughter & pain.

BIPOC & LGBTQ+ Entries
One of the things we strive for is to create inclusion and equality in the running
community. As much as we want to say that all you need to run is a pair of
shoes, we know the reality is much more complex.
To create intentional space for people, we have a number of free entries for our
races that we would like to extend to BIPOC and LGBTQ+
athletes. We would like to emphasize that these are not need based or
scholarships. These entries are an affirmation of belonging in our community. We
are not in any way publicly advertising who accepts an entry, and you do not
have to be an out member of the LGBTQ+ community to receive one. We are not
questioning or asking for additional information from anyone who asks for a code,
they will be handed out as long as we have funding to do so.
If you would like a code, please email us at ally@cussingrunner.com . We
have earmarked funds for both BIPOC and LGBTQ+. Please feel free to share this offer with friends.

Entrance Policy for Transgender Athletes
We will accept each entrant’s declared gender at face value, and no additional supporting
evidence is required. Athletes may register as the gender they identify with.

Entrance Policy for Non-Binary Athletes
People whose gender is not male or female; including but not limited to: genderqueer, agender, bigender. We want to acknowledge, respect, and provide opportunity in the registration process to express their desired pronouns. Please email ally@cussingrunner.com after registration and we will amend our records as Ultrasignup does not currently have that option.

Event's current local time: 6:21 AM CT