Black Hills Backyard Ultra 2026

Black Hills Backyard Ultra is a backyard ultra held at Big Hill Trails near Spearfish, in North Spearfish, South Dakota. It follows the classic format: runners begin a 4.167-mile loop at the top of each hour, and any runner not finishing the loop before the next hour begins is eliminated. The race begins and ends at Big Hill Trailhead, keeping the entire event focused on the same trail loop rather than moving between locations. The test is not completing a single fast lap, but returning repeatedly until runners either time out or decide to stop. This makes pacing, nutrition, rest, and the decision to answer the next start signal integral to the race itself.