6. O-SEE Backyard Ultra 2026

O-SEE Backyard Ultra takes place in July in Upper Lusatia, centered at Westpark in Zittau and the O-SEE area by Lake Olbersdorf. It began as a local event called LAUFHAUS and is now part of the O-SEE events, which include the O-SEE Challenge and O-SEE Open Water Race. The format is straightforward and demanding: runners complete loop after loop until they cannot continue. The winner is the last athlete able to start the next loop. The race has expanded rapidly since its introduction in 2020, attracting participants from across Europe and various nations. The event record is held by Latvian runner Ritvars Kalnins, a three-time winner, who completed 49 loops (approximately 328 km) over 49 hours. A children's race near Pethauer Teich offers a unique challenge: kids run five 1 km laps, starting together every 10 minutes. The winner is determined not by speed, but by the smallest difference between their fastest and slowest laps.