5. TCW Backyard Ultra

TCW Backyard Ultra is a backyard ultra held in Wölfersheim, Germany. The start and finish are located on the grounds of the local tennis club. Runners start each morning, completing one 6.71 km lap every hour. A runner is eliminated if they miss the hourly start or cannot finish the lap within the allotted time. The race does not have a fixed finish line or a conventional winning time. The race typically begins on the last Saturday of the Hessian summer school holidays. This date is selected because the tennis club grounds are then free of official championships and team matches, and most people have returned from vacation. The format is straightforward yet demanding: runners must match the clock, lap after lap, until only one remains. This makes the event a mental challenge as much as a running race, where pacing, recovery between laps, and the decision to continue are as crucial as speed.