2. Jenaer Backyard Ultra

The Jenaer Backyard Ultra starts runners from Cospeda, a district of Jena in Thuringia, on a 6.7 km loop each hour. It is a Last Human Standing race: complete the loop within 60 minutes, start again on the next hour, and continue until you miss the cutoff, decide to stop, or fail to begin the next lap. The loop is short on paper but includes about 194 meters of climbing each time, so the hills accumulate quickly as the hours pass. SV Cospeda 97 e.V. organizes the race, and the event also features a three-person team competition, offering runners a way to share the format even though the main race concludes with only one finisher remaining. The race’s motto is simple and accurate: “Let’s go crazy!”