Outlet Backyard Ultra Wānaka
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About the race
Outlet Backyard Ultra Wānaka is an inaugural Backyard Ultra event held at Outlet Camp Wānaka, located at the head of the glacial-fed Mata-Au/Clutha River, which continues over 330 km to the Pacific Ocean. The site provides a spacious corral area, a dedicated family camping zone along the route, and a large communal marquee for shared seating and shelter.
The event uses a looped yard of 6.7 km composed of well-drained moraine, packed forest floor, single and wide Central Otago trail surfaces. The course mixes open and forested stretches, offers wild views, and currently has about 35 m of elevation with mostly gentle gradients - uphill sections are generally no more than 2% and downhill sections reach about 3% in places.
Each competitor is allocated a 3 by 3 m space for their race setup. Primary crew and entrants have no camping fee; discounted camp rates are available for family and supporters on the Friday before the event. There are child-friendly activities and a free running event for children on Saturday.
Event operations follow Backyard Ultra rules: each yard starts one hour after the last; competitors must start at the bell; yards must be completed in under an hour to count; no personal aid is allowed during a yard except restroom breaks; no non-competitors on course; no artificial aids. Results are recorded by yards completed and the winner is the last person to complete a yard. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
