6.71km - Every Hour - Until One Remains

Beacon Hill Backyard

Britains Toughest Backyard?

This is not just another ultra.

Beacon Hill Backyard brings the brutal, beautifully simple backyard ultra format to Beacon Hill Country Park. A 6.71km (4.167 mile) loop, 180m of climbing, and a mix of gravel, forest path and volcanic outcrop — the same lap, every single hour, for as long as you can keep going. This is a Big's Backyard Ultra affiliated event — see "How the Format Works" below for what that means for your result.

There's no finish line to aim for. You run until you can't, or until everyone else has stopped before you. It's a format that rewards patience, pacing and grit over raw speed — and it's earned its reputation as one of the toughest tests in ultrarunning.

The last runner standing earns the honour of lighting the Beacon.

6.71KM

The loop, every hour

180M

Elevation per loop

24

Laps to 100 miles

250

Runner cap

Start & HQ

Beacon Hill Country Park — Lower Car Park

10:00am, Saturday 27 March 2027

Formats

Full Beacon Hill Backyard (no time limit) or 12-Hour Taster

Same start line, same bell

Race Information

What You Get

Entry into Beacon Hill Backyard or the 12-Hour Taster

A Beacon Race Events 60L duffel bag — your kit bag for the event, stored in your own labelled cubby hole in the bunkhouse

Access to marquee bunkhouses to rest, refuel and prepare between loops

Outdoor paddock and seating space (weather permitting)

Free race day photography

Toilets at base and out on the course

A medal for every runner who reaches 100 miles (24 laps)

A DNF patch for every runner who doesn't — worn with pride

The chance to light the Beacon as Beacon Hill Backyard champion

How the Format Works

Beacon Hill Backyard follows the standard Backyard Ultra format:

A new 6.71km loop starts every hour, on the hour

Warning sirens sound at 5 minutes, 3 minutes and 1 minute before each start

You must be back in the start corral, ready to go, when the siren sounds — not still out on the course

If you're not in the corral at the siren, or don't complete the loop within the hour, you're out

The race continues until one runner completes a lap that no one else completes — they're the winner, and everyone else is recorded as DNF, regardless of how many laps they finished

If no single runner manages that decisive lap alone, there is no winner

No pacers and no outside aid are allowed on the loop itself — support is only available at the bunkhouse and start/finish corral, between loops

Beacon Hill Backyard is an officially affiliated Big's Backyard Ultra event — the original backyard ultra format born in Tennessee, USA. Every hour, every loop, until one is left: it's the same rule that has broken and made legends for over a decade.

As an affiliated race, your result counts towards the official Big's Backyard Ultra global ranking system — and our winner earns a qualifying invitation to the Big's Backyard Ultra World Championship. Beat the yard here, and you've earned your place on the biggest stage in the format.

The 12-Hour Taster

Not ready for an open-ended battle of attrition? The 12-Hour Taster runs from the same start line, on the same hourly bell, following exactly the same rules as the full event — but concludes at the 12-hour mark.

It's the perfect way to experience the Backyard Ultra format — the bell, the corral, the loop, the pressure — without committing to a race with no defined end.

Entry Requirements

To enter, runners must:

Be at least 20 years old on race day

Be in good health

No previous ultra experience is required for either format. Entries are capped at 250 runners across the Full Beacon Hill Backyard and the 12-Hour Taster combined.

What to Bring

There's no mandatory kit list for this event — how you prepare is up to you. That said, most runners find the following useful:

A headtorch and spare batteries, for laps after dark

Layers for changing weather — conditions can shift a lot over a long event

Suitable trail footwear for gravel, forest path and rocky, technical ground

Nutrition and hydration you trust, lap after lap

Warm, comfortable kit to change into during downtime in the bunkhouse

A refillable cup or bottle for the aid station

Support, Bunkhouses & Spectators

Between loops, runners have access to marquee bunkhouses at the start/finish area — use the space how you see fit, to rest, eat, change or sleep.

Your Beacon Race Events duffel bag is stored in your own labelled cubby hole inside the bunkhouse for the duration of the event

Personal tents are not permitted — the bunkhouses are your base

Outdoor paddock and seating space is available when weather allows

Spectators and crew are welcome, but are not permitted inside the bunkhouses

Toilets are provided at base and at a location out on the course

Race Photography

Race photographs are FREE!

We'll be posting the links to the official media team photographs on our website's gallery page after the race has finished. Please keep checking back to find yours.

Processing and editing the photographs does take time so please allow at least 48–72 hours after the conclusion of the race for the links to be added.

We'll also be adding photographs taken by the event team on our Instagram and Facebook pages.

Safety + Rules

Corral discipline is strictly enforced. You must be in the start corral, ready to go, when the final siren sounds — being a few metres away is treated the same as not being there at all.

No pacers, and no aid of any kind, are permitted out on the loop. Support is only available at the bunkhouse and start/finish area between laps.

The course includes gravel, forest path and volcanic outcrop — sections of uneven, technical ground. Please run within your ability, especially after dark and as fatigue builds over repeated loops.

If you see a runner experiencing difficulties on the course, please inform Race HQ at the start/finish area as soon as you are able.

This is a UK Athletics / Trail Running Association affiliated event. It is organised and run under their rules, and covered by their insurance.

Race Waiver & Conditions

1. Governing Rules and Eligibility

Beacon Hill Backyard ("the Event") is organised by Beacon Race Events and run under the standard Backyard Ultra format — a 6.71km loop completed every hour, on the hour, until a sole winner remains. By entering this Event, I agree to abide by these rules and any supplementary instructions issued by the organisers, race officials, or marshals. All participants must be 20 years of age or older on the day of the Event. Proof of age may be required at registration or during race check-in.

2. Acknowledgement of Risk

I acknowledge and understand that participation in the Event involves inherent risks, including but not limited to: falls, collisions, overexertion, dehydration, hypothermia, heat illness, adverse weather, uneven and technical terrain, extreme fatigue and sleep deprivation, and other hazards associated with an extended, repeated-loop endurance event. I understand that a Backyard Ultra format is physically and mentally demanding by design, and that I am voluntarily participating entirely at my own risk.

3. Fitness to Participate

I confirm that I am in good physical health; I have not been advised against participation by a qualified medical professional; I am solely responsible for monitoring my own condition throughout the Event; and if I experience any pain, discomfort, or injury during the Event, I will stop and seek medical assistance immediately.

4. Assumption of Risk and Release of Liability

In consideration of being permitted to participate in the Event, I hereby release, waive, discharge, and hold harmless Beacon Race Events, its directors, officers, employees, volunteers, agents, sponsors, partners, landowners, and any other individuals or organisations associated with the Event ("the Released Parties") from any and all liability, claims, demands, or causes of action arising out of or related to my participation, including but not limited to personal injury, illness, death, or property damage, whether caused by negligence or otherwise, and delays, cancellations, or changes due to weather or unforeseen circumstances. This waiver applies to myself, my personal representatives, heirs, next of kin, and assigns.

5. Indemnity

I agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Released Parties from any liability, damages, costs, or expenses (including legal fees) incurred as a result of my participation in the Event, my actions, or any breach of this agreement.

6. Medical Treatment and Consent

I consent to receive medical treatment deemed necessary by race officials, paramedics, or medical personnel during the Event, and I authorise the sharing of relevant personal and medical information with medical providers in the event of an emergency.

7. Event Rules and Conduct

I agree to abide by all race rules, instructions, and safety briefings provided by Beacon Race Events. I understand that failure to comply with these rules — including corral discipline, or receiving outside aid on the course — will result in disqualification.

8. Environmental and Land Use Responsibility

I agree to respect Beacon Hill Country Park and the land the Event takes place on. I will not litter, damage property, disturb wildlife, or trespass outside designated areas. I acknowledge that the Event operates with the permission of local landowners and authorities, and that my actions reflect upon the reputation of Beacon Race Events and the wider trail-running community.

9. Event Changes and Force Majeure

I understand that the organisers reserve the right to postpone, cancel, or modify the Event for safety, legal, or logistical reasons, including but not limited to severe weather or government restriction. No refunds or transfers will be issued except as stated in the official Event policy.

10. Photography, Video, and Media Consent

I grant Beacon Race Events and its partners the right to capture and use photographs, video, and other media of my participation for promotional, editorial, and commercial purposes, without compensation. If I do not wish my image to be used, I will notify the organisers in writing prior to the Event.

11. Data Protection and Privacy

I consent to the collection and processing of my personal data for the purposes of Event administration, safety, and communication in accordance with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. Beacon Race Events will not sell or share my personal data with third parties except as required for the safe operation of the Event.

12. Acknowledgement of Understanding

I have carefully read and fully understand this Waiver and Release of Liability. I acknowledge that by signing below, I am voluntarily giving up substantial legal rights, including the right to sue. I agree that this waiver is governed by the laws of England and Wales and that any dispute arising under it shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

Think you can outlast the field?

Entry fees and the full course route will be published here soon — check back, or ask our on-screen AI Event Assistant for the latest details, 24 hours a day.

Read the FAQs View the Course

Take part and let us know — does this route deserve the title of Britain's Toughest Backyard?

First to the Beacon !!

Description supplied by the event organiser.