Mad Backyard Ultra
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Event overview
MAD Backyard Ultra is a backyard-ultra style endurance event held on January 17, 2026, at Camp Jordan Park in East Ridge, Tennessee. The event is presented as the 5th annual running and is listed as a qualifying race for The Big Dog's Backyard Ultra. The format has no set distance and continues until only one competitor completes a final lap.
Format, course and rules
Runners complete a 4.167-mile trail loop each hour; finish a loop within the hour to continue, fail to finish and the runner is out. The loop runs through Camp Jordan Park and uses exterior track, gravel, and grass. The course is described as flat, runnable, and non-technical. Crew access is allowed at the start/finish and tents or canopies are permitted near the start line. Volunteers provide aid at the start/finish, but once on the course runners may not receive aid from crew or other individuals. Competitors must be in the starting corral before each loop begins and must start each loop at the sounding of the bell. No pacers or artificial aids, including trekking poles, are allowed. Eliminated runners and other non-competitors are not allowed on the course, with restroom use as the stated exception.
Awards and logistics
All participants receive a coin. The last runner standing receives a unique award. Runners who reach 100 miles receive a MAD Backyard Ultra belt buckle. Packet pickup is listed at 323 Camp Jordan Parkway, East Ridge, TN. Hotels are available within about a mile of the race start. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.