Backyard Ultra - Las Cruces
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Backyard Ultra - Las Cruces
The Day of the Dead Land of Enchantment Backyard Ultra is scheduled for October 30, 2026, at the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument in Las Cruces, NM. The course is a lollipop-style loop through the monument with well-maintained trails mostly composed of crushed gravel, some elevation change, and views of the Organ Mountain range. The loop measures approximately 4.167 miles and will be run repeatedly under the backyard ultra format until a single runner completes a loop alone.
The event provides a large area around the start/finish for personal aid setups, camping, and parking. The start/finish aid station will offer porta-potties, hydration (water and Gatorade), salty-sweet trail snacks, pickles, wraps, and coffee during overnight and morning hours. This is a cupless event. Personal assistance is allowed between laps but not on the course; aids such as trekking poles are forbidden. Runners must be in the clearly marked starting box when the hourly bell sounds; warning tones will be given before each start. An aid station will be staffed at the loop start/finish.
All participants receive a Land of Enchantment hoodie and a Day of the Dead DNF medal. Runners who complete 24 laps receive a 100-mile buckle; male and female overall awards and a fastest lap award will be given. The race is capped at 75 participants, refunds are not permitted, and a portion of registration fees will be donated to the Southern New Mexico Trail Alliance.
Packet pickup is scheduled the day before at Bluebird Running of Las Cruces and again on race morning near the monument. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
