Courtney Dauwalter won the U.S. Big’s Backyard Ultra on Tuesday October 20th, running an amazing 455 km (283 miles). Big’s Backyard Ultra is a unique yet simple race. Runners have one hour to complete a 6.7km loop. Participants continue running loops until the last person is standing, there is no set finish time.
The U.S. race was part of a larger, international Backyard Ultra race. According to Runner’s World magazine, 20 countries participated with backyard ultras of their own. Belgium’s Karel Sabbe was the overall winner of the international event with a staggering 502 km (312 miles). Interestingly, Sabbe and Dawaulter had similar race strategies. They both snuck in 10 minutes of sleep every lap. Sabbe’s countryman Merijn Geerts came in 2nd place in the overall race with 496 km (308 miles) while Dauwalter finished 3rd, according to the official race results. We will never know if Dauwalter could have beaten Sabbe and Geerts. Race rules stated that a country’s race could only continue if there were two runners left. In the U.S. race, Harvey Lewis hung in with Dauwalter until lap 68. Lewis, a 44 year old public school teacher from Cincinnati, Ohio started lap 68 with Dauwalter however he walked back to the start line, shortly after starting.
Dauwalter continues to build an amazing resume. She was the women’s winner of the Western States Endurance Run in 2018 and Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc in 2019 – two races that many consider the championships for trail running. What’s even more impressive is that Dauwalter beats men on a regular basis. She was the outright winner of Javelina Jundred and Run Rabbit Run in 2016 and the Moab 240 in 2017. She joins the company of the likes of Ann Trason and Pam Reed, two amazing female ultra runners who consistently bested men in some of the sport’s top races. Ann Trason has won the women’s Western States Endurance run 14 times, placing 3rd overall in 1992, 1993 and 1996 and 2nd overall in 1994 and 1995. Pam Reed was the overall winner of the Badwater 135 in 2002 and 2003.
The win at the U.S. Big’s Back Yard Ultra helped settle unfinished business for Dauwalter. She came in second place overall in 2018. At 35 years old, Dauwalter has a long ultra running career ahead of her. I look forward to following along with Courtney Dauwalter’s amazing ultra running journey.