Brighton Backyard Ultra 2026

Brighton Backyard Ultra begins at the Brighton Surf Life Saving Club in Dunedin, New Zealand, with the beach influencing the race. It is a last-one-standing ultramarathon: runners start a 6.71 km loop on the hour, every hour. They remain in the race only if they finish that loop before the next one begins. Any spare minutes become recovery time, rewarding steady pacing as much as raw endurance. The loop includes footpath, grass, sand, rocky ground, slight rises, and beach running, offering more variety than a flat road circuit. The event also functions as a school fundraiser, giving it a local, community-driven atmosphere instead of a purely competitive setup. It suits runners who appreciate the unusual social rhythm of backyard ultras, where participants repeat the same loop until only one person can start the next hourly interval.