Thetford Back Yard Ultra
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Event overview
The Thetford Back Yard Ultra Festival is a Backyard Ultra held on 12 September 2026 at High Lodge, Thetford Forest, Suffolk. The format requires participants to complete a loop of 4.167 miles each hour; each loop must be finished within the hour and the last person to complete a loop is the event winner. Chip timing is used and the main event offers a £250 prize plus free entry to the organiser's summer Backyard Ultra for the winner and an assistant. Discounts are available for elite runners.
New for 2026 are timed-entry options of 6 hours and 12 hours. These shorter options use the same course and setup but participants are automatically recorded as DNF when their time limit ends; there will be no winner or prizes for the timed races. The 6-hour option is open to entrants aged 12 and over provided a parent or guardian is onsite and an emergency contact number is supplied. The 12-hour and full event entries require entrants to be 18 or older. Prices listed are £80 (6-hour), £100 (12-hour) and £120 (full event).
Logistics, facilities and rules
The route is wide, mostly gravel or grass, largely flat with one small hill and is fully signed. There is a single aid station at the start/finish area offering hot and cold water and basic sweet and savoury snacks for runners and crews during the event. Portable toilets are provided near the camping areas. Camping for runners and crews is free but space is limited and tent sizes should be kept small; Friday night camping is not permitted. No stoves are allowed in camping areas except in a supervised cooking zone. The site has no mains power and signal may be patchy; a limited charging point and powerbanks are recommended. Event rules include staying in the starting corral for the bell, no crew access on course, wearing headtorches after dark, and ringing a bell when a runner is DNF. Parking is available to book and a flat fee applies for the event period; the site entrance gate is closed overnight. Runners are asked to take personal waste home. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
