Grand Valley Backyard
Always double-check with the organizer's website! This page may contain affiliate links.
Event Format
The Grand Valley Backyard is a traditional and official Backyard race (a bronze ticket event). The format involves running 4.17 miles every hour. All participants start together at the beginning of each yard (loop). The event continues until only one person is left standing, with no predetermined finish time.
Awards and Recognition
All runners will receive a finisher's buckle engraved with the exact distance they achieved. Specific acrylic awards are given to the last male and last female standing. The overall winner (last person standing) receives a top-of-the-line Sheridan Buckle.
Course Information
The course consists of 4.17 miles of mostly single-track trail with some double-track sections. There is no pavement. Each loop features approximately 500 feet of elevation gain, concentrated almost entirely in the first half. The course is described as entirely runnable and non-technical.
Logistics and Rules
The event takes place at the 18 Road Trailhead in Loma, Colorado. A large staging area is available at the start/finish. Water and Proxima C Endurance Fuel will be provided for runners. Participants must bring their own food if required. Crews are permitted but are limited to a maximum of three people per runner. Each runner or crew is allowed one 10x10 foot space; pop-up tents must be secured. No dogs are allowed in the crew area or on the course. No electricity is available for runners, and gas generators are not permitted in the crew space (electric generators and battery packs are acceptable). Cooking on a grill is permitted behind a vehicle, but not within the crew area itself.
Registration and Policy
Registration is handled via Ultrasignup. Results will be listed as the distance achieved by each runner, not as a DNF (unless a participant fails to complete one yard/loop). The event has a deferral and withdrawal policy offering credit toward future races from the same organizer, with no refunds or bib transfers permitted. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
