The Backland
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The Backland
The Backland is a last-man-standing trail race held near the Texas and Oklahoma border. The event is title sponsored by Nature Nate's and is run primarily on trail with some road sections. The race uses a repeating 4.5-mile loop called a land; runners have one hour to complete each land. Every hour a new land begins and runners who fail to finish a land within the hour or who quit must ring the bell and are out of the competition. A rule introduced in 2025 states that ties are not permitted.
Entry to the last-man-standing competition is limited to 60 participants. The final runner remaining is declared the Backland Champion and receives a cash prize of $1000, a trophy, and a six-pack of beer or root beer. All finishers receive a long sleeve Backland shirt and a drink. Runners who complete 103.5 miles (23 lands) receive a 100-mile belt buckle; those who complete 153 miles (34 lands) receive a golden 150-mile belt buckle.
The event base is Walnut Creek Resort & Marina, 1075 Walnut Creek Rd, Gordonville, TX. Optional pre-race camping is available and the resort offers tent camping and cabins for lodging. A trophy is awarded for the best start/finish setup. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
