As of 1 p.m. Wednesday, only Canadian Ihor Verys and Harvey Lewis of the U.S. were still going after running a world record 690 km
A Ukrainian Canadian runner from Chilliwack is one of two ultra runners still competing in a gruelling endurance race in Tennessee that began early Saturday.
The Backyard Ultra is a race in which competitors must complete a 6.7-kilometre trail run every hour of every day until no one can keep going. After local qualifiers, it serves as the international world championship for the unique type of ultra run.
Article content
A worldwide field of 75 runners started at 7 a.m. Saturday. As of 1 p.m. Wednesday, only Canadian Ihor Verys and Harvey Lewis of the U.S. were still going.
Bartosz Fudali of Poland dropped out after 103 circuits, a new world record. That equates to running 690 kilometres, or nearly 429 miles, in just over four days.
Verys and Lewis just completed the 104th lap, and must complete the next circuit by 2 p.m. PT. Runners who finish ahead of the one-hour limit use those moments to refresh, hydrate and take in some food before having to set out again on the hour.
Backyard Ultra races were popular during the COVID-19 pandemic when long-distance runners weren’t able to compete in close quarters. They have remained popular even as more conventional races have resumed.
You can follow the last two competitors on the Backyard Ultra YouTube livestream.
Article content
More to come …
Article content
