Prairie On Fire Backyard Ultra 2026

Prairie On Fire Backyard Ultra is Central Indiana's only official Backyard Ultra, held at Koteewi Park with the start and finish at the White River Campground pavilion. The race begins at 8am, and runners have one hour to complete each 4.167-mile loop before lining up again at the bell. It is a last-person-standing format: make the hour cutoff and you continue racing; miss it and your race ends. If no runner can complete another lap, there is no winner. The daytime loop uses Koteewi Park's groomed trails, mostly crushed gravel, and crosses the White River on a historic fixed truss bridge. After dark, runners switch to an out-and-back asphalt route along 234th Street, with a running vest and headlamp or hand lamp required. The field can include people trying to stretch beyond a 5K and ultrarunners chasing huge mileage; past runners have finished anywhere from one loop to 30, and Jeff Walker reached 158.346 miles. Crews are encouraged but cannot pace, give aid on course, or stash supplies, so the runner camp beside the corral matters almost as much as the trail. Food is part of the weekend too, with King Dough Pizza, pancake breakfasts, smoked meats, ultra snacks, and Tailwind available.