Australian ultrarunner Phil Gore has shattered the Backyard Ultra world record with a 119-lap performance at the Dead Cow Gully Backyard Ultra in Queensland, Australia, covering nearly 800 kilometers over five continuous days.
The race, notorious for its grueling one-loop-per-hour format, ended early last Thursday when New Zealandโs Sam Harvey was forced to withdraw after completing 118 laps. Gore completed the final lap alone to seal the win.
Why it matters
The Backyard Ultra is a test of both endurance and willpower. Runners must complete one 6.7056-kilometer loop every hour, on the hour. If they fail to start or finish within that time, theyโre eliminated. Only the last runner to complete a lap is declared the winner.
Goreโs 119 laps surpassed the previous world record of 116, set by Polandโs ลukasz Wrรณbel just weeks earlier.
What happened
The 2025 edition of Dead Cow Gully began the Saturday morning with 263 runners on a remote cattle property near Nanango, Queensland. By Wednesday night, just two remained, Gore and Harvey, locked in a head-to-head battle that extended well past the previous record.
Harvey, reportedly suffering from an Achilles tendon issue, was unable to finish loop 119. Gore completed the lap solo, becoming the new record holder and only finisher of the event.
By the numbers
- Loops completed: 119
- Total distance: ~797.3 kilometers (495.4 miles)
- Duration: Nearly five days
- Previous record: 116 loops (ลukasz Wrรณbel, May 2025)
Beyond the podium
- Sam Harveyโs 118 laps set a new New Zealand national record.
- Jennifer Russo of the United States was the last woman standing, completing 76 loops.
- Australiaโs Holly Ranson (61 loops) and New Zealandโs Jane McAlpine (53) also set national womenโs records.
The event attracted international competitors from the United States, Belgium, Japan, and Spain.
The format
Created by Gary โLazโ Cantrell, the founder of the Barkley Marathons, the Backyard Ultra format is designed to eliminate all but one runner through relentless hourly loops. Each loop is timed, and rest between laps depends entirely on how quickly a runner finishes. The course at Dead Cow Gully features sharp temperature swings and challenging terrain, adding to the difficulty.
Race director Tim Walsh hosts the event on his familyโs cattle property, where each runner receives a cattle tag to hang on a board. The last tag left standing belongs to the winner.
