Event Guide

View 2024 OTB Event Guide

The Old Tom Backyard will take place on the Reimer Farm near Blumenort Manitoba.

The day loop is a 4.167 mile trail loop through some awesome oak treed singletrack and grass pasture trails. The night loop will be on our famous rural Manitoba gravel roads.

A Backyard Ultra is a great way to not only challenge yourself, but to bring the running community together in a fun, short course event.

The Backyard Ultra is designed to accommodate any level of runner, giving you the opportunity to reach goals you previously thought impossible!

Winner:

The winner is the last person to complete a loop within the allotted time
All others are technically a DNF
If no runner can complete one more loop than anyone else, there is no winner.

Details

Registration

$175 (Early Registration ends February 28th, 2025)

$200 (After March 1st) *GST and Ultra Signup fees not included

2025 event will be capped at 75 participants

Registration opens 8:00am, December 7, 2024

Participants must be 18 years of age or older on race day

What's Included

Custom Race T-shirt
Access to gorgeous private trails
DNF Prize
Fuel/Snack Station
Water/Ice
Coffee
Swag Bag
First Aid
Top Notch Volunteers
Memories to last a lifetime!

Event Schedule

Friday July 4th, 2025

Package Pick Up and Racer Tent set up: 6-8pm

Course will be marked for those that want to preview where the suffering will go down!

Saturday July 5th, 2025

Racer Tent set up: 6am - 7:30am

Late Racer Check-in: 6am-7:15am

Mandatory Pre-Race briefing: 7:30 - 7:45am

1st Lap Start Time: 8am

Race End Time: Your guess is as good as mine!

Course

Course will consist of separate Day and Night Loops

More info HERE

Race Site

Old Tom Backyard is hosted on an active family farm near Blumenort, Manitoba which is about 25 minutes SE of Winnipeg. The Reimer family has been raising turkeys and cattle on this site for 3 generations with the 4th generation of kids starting to help out!

The race corral and staging areas will be under the shelter of an open-sided pole shed, so crew and spectators can stay under a roof. There will be plenty of room in the shed for you to set up your own personal rest/aid station, but if you'd like to set up your own tent outside feel free!

As this is an active farm site, there will be areas of no admittance due to biosecurity reasons and the health/safety of the turkeys. Please respect any signs/instructions the hosts have provided.

As much as we love our pets, pets will NOT be allowed on the property.

Backyard Rules

Runners must finish each lap within 1 hour.
The next lap starts on the hour every hour after that (signaled by the bell)
Participants MUST be in the starting corral at the bell. NO late starts!
Warning whistles will be given 3, 2, and 1 minutes prior to the starting bell.
Runners may not leave the course until each loop is completed (once the bell goes you must complete the loop before any support is given/taken)
No support to be given/taken from anyone during the loop – no gear, food, or liquids. The only support allowed is a quick verbal encouragement as you pass by
No pacing
No artificial aids (including poles).
Slower runners please allow faster runners to pass.
The winner is the last person to complete a loop within the hour after all others have given up. DNF (did not finish)
If no runner can complete one more lap than everyone else, there is no winner.
Please report to the timing area when you decide you can no longer go on.
This is a self-supported event. You will need to provide your own food. We will provide water/ice and a some snacks during the event, but don't rely on the aid station for your sole fueling needs.
No littering
No open fires in support area (camp stoves are allowed)
During the night loops, runners MUST have a headlamp and some form of reflective vest/belt as the roads will remain open to traffic.
Obey any instructions given to you by race officials.
Be respectful and look after one another.