Journal

Discover the 2026 Backyard Ultra World Championships UK team results, race highlights and expert tips from the runners who took on this epic event.

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Calon Lân / Cambrian Way route recce Llandovery to Llanddeusant. Including logistics, coffee shops and gates you might miss!

Only Allan could organise rain at the Copthorne in the middle of a heatwave (for those of you who don’t know, the Copthorne Races weather in November is notorious for being diabolical, usually a named storm).

Calon Lân / Cambrian Way recces including travel logistics for Penwyllt to Storey Arms, Torpantau to Crickhowell and Abergavenny to Cardiff.

The lighting drew closer, the night sky was fizzing and cracking and then right in front of us the most exceptional pink lightning strike, it crackled, from sky to field dashed lines rather than a solid line, I have never before witnessed anything like it, followed by a great deafening boom, the rea...

Today was A LOT of fun! Feels like too long since I went on an adventure. I’m enjoying collecting the ‘passport stamps’ from the churches along the route. I saw a buzzard watching me from a fence post, then put my hand in what potentially was his poo when I climbed the style.

Phrases I found myself saying: “I normally walk up these!” (referring to a hill) “Can you tell me your life story rather than ask my questions? I need to breath!” “Oh my gosh we’ve only done 2 miles we have to go round again?” “I never normally run thi...

One Sunday yard I was thinking how I could really do with a proper ice cold drink of water, I was manifesting it. As I reached the stairs, the manifestation worked, Gav was holding out a bottle of water, so cold the condensation was dripping off it, I faltered, “It’s ok” he said, “it’s legal” I took...

Eric had informed him that a tornado had ripped through the campsite shortly after we had left and that we were to be evacuated to a classroom which was on the course.

When I first asked Terry if I “could do his big cock and balls” I was greeted with silence, maybe something to do with my message slipping into requests and being unnoticed…

I was perhaps a little over zealous at the start and ran the entire way to the first checkpoint (probably around 12 miles)… this meant I also ran up every single hill. I knew this was potentially a bit of self sabotage but I didn’t really mind as it was ‘only’ 50km and not an ‘A race’. I...

I wanted to try out a new fuelling strategy, it didn’t work and I bonked just before the end of leg 2 but I am so glad I tried it out.

Spot prizes included a toilet brush, a whole dead fish, condoms and sanitary towels. I was disappointed not to win a spot prize (awarded at random).

The Copthorne 100. There’s something rather special about this race, it’s a dream and a nightmare tangled together. To succeed on this course is something to be proud of. So many before have tried and failed. I was talking to someone about it during the race and I established that at some point this...

The Copthorne 100 has gained mythical status. It’s a 103 mile foot race in the Surrey countryside, up and around Box Hill. The finish rate is extremely low. Ahead of the 2025 edition of the race there was a 13.5% finish rate amongst men and a 22% finish rate amongst women.

I went to get my race number whilst Will organised the gazebo, unbelievably my race number was 59, the current UK female record, surely this was a sign of great things to come?

Coming in off the 1pm yard I was thrilled as the next yard would be Andy’s birthday party! We all donned party hats, had some cupcakes, sang happy birthday and off we went, wearing our hats the whole way round that yard, it was a good laugh and a good energy boost for the team.

I was in the tea tent (funny that) recording an interview with Grumpy, he was telling me about Matthew Blackburn and John Stocker’s world record which he witnessed first hand and unbeknown to me, the wind picked up and my gazebo blew away and landed on someone’s head.

My feet were moving faster and I was having to keep an eye on where I was placing them. There were snails everywhere, I don’t mean just one or two, but hundreds and hundreds of snails. I suddenly had a thought. “Francis?” “Yes?” Am I having my first ever hallucination or are there really about a mil...