RACE REPORT – Back Yard Ultra – Sarah McNamara

IMRA Western Yards Backyard Ultra Last One Standing – Saturday 30th May 2026 Race Report

The weekend started with the setup of the GTC Gazebo on Friday evening in the glorious sunshine. This would be the home of 5 (fool)hardy GTC souls from noon on Saturday, until when, they did not know yet…..

This is because a Backyard Ultra (BYU) is an event where runners have to complete a 6.7k lap (or yard to use proper BYU lingo) in an hour and keep doing that on the hour, every hour, until they can’t. Those who reach the 24 hour mark get to say they have done 100 miles, which is where the idea came from. Participants usually use a run-walk strategy and aim to complete each lap in about 45-50 minutes, to give enough time for a break to fuel and hydrate, but avoid too much rest which might mean getting cold or stiff. Everyone has their own way of doing things though, and it is all about what works for each person. For Last One Standing events, everyone except the winner is considered a DNF, regardless of how many laps they do! Last weekend, the consolation prize for DNFing was an IMRA (Irish Mountain Running Association) branded pint glass and a can of Galway Bay Brewery Beer!

Kilcornan Walled Garden in Clarinbridge is possibly the best setting imaginable for such an event. Runners flocked from all corners of the county, country and globe to set up their base in this secluded part of the beautiful surrounding woods. These ranged from a simple camp chair to one-man tents to larger gazebos, for those of us lucky enough to be sharing the experience with club mates. It created a festival-like atmosphere that had everyone (runners, volunteers and supporters) buzzing before the event even started!

Lap 1 started like every other lap would, with a 3-minute warning whistle, then a 2-minute and a 1-minute before we were all off at noon. These warning whistles were quite the novelty for the first few hours but became ever more important as the day, and night stretched on. 135 athletes started lap 1, which could have caused a lot of congestion on the (slight) uphill sections where many chose to walk. However, it felt from the start that everyone just relaxed and went with the flow. People found their own pace groups, and it was generally easy to pass people if needed.
The weather during the day was mixed, with some rain and some sun but manageable.  The damp conditions caused some heartache for GTC’s Martin Lynch, and many others, as it was near impossible to get in and out of their compression socks between laps!
The first DNFs started after lap 3, a respectful half-marathon distance. GTCs Marie Moran and Martin Lynch held on for over twice that, with 7 laps, surpassing the marathon mark. If there was a prize for most impressively organised set-up, Marie would have won it! DNFing with them was the holder of the course record (32 laps) and BYU legend Vincent McMath – which goes to show that the day can go anyway, for even the most experienced ultra runners. Another of the GTC gazebo dwellers, Oisín Foden, held on for “one more lap” (the mantra of the day) to finish on an awesome 8.

 This is around the time I started to need the painkillers, caffeine gels and Nuasan CBD rub. I continued to lap 9 with GTC clubmate Patrick Dunne by my side. We kept each other going, talking about anything and everything, most of which is a blur….

At this stage, unlike with most other runs, hills are appreciated, as these are the sections where you walk! The breaks between laps became more welcome, not only for the rest and refuel, but also because it meant meeting any new supporters that had made their way to Clarinbridge to experience the madness. Even though it is only for a few minutes, seeing new faces, many of them our GTC clubmates, was a huge boost. On the 1-minute whistle before 9pm , Tricia Strelioff, clad in fairy lights (I think, I may have imagined that!), grabbed me and repeated “body is strong, legs are strong” several times. I was getting through that lap for sure!

Patrick finished on an incredible 10 laps, smashing his last year’s achievement by 2. Then I was on my own, in the dark, literally. Lap 11 was when the headtorches and high vis were mandatory, and the race took on a very different but also very unique vibe. The meadow and woods that had been so familiar for the last 10 hours were now strangely unfamiliar but familiar at the same time…

By now solids and gels were not happening for me so I guzzled water, coke, coconut water and whatever else I could find before starting lap 12. I knew I was near the end of my race but wanted to get to midnight, and 50 miles. I knew I could afford to walk more than run on lap 12 and still finish within the hour. I admit I fabricated some hills that didn’t exist in previous laps, but I still made it in with plenty of time to DNF after 12 hours, 2 more than my 2025 PB.
GTCs Gabriel Walsh was a volunteer for most of the event and was there to greet me with a slice of pizza (all those who make it past lap 10 get this). After a bit of a relax, I signed myself out, collected my beer and took my IMRA glass from the DNF board.

The rest of the field continued long into the night with 14 runners making it to 24 laps. The eventual winner, Colin Dockery, did 35 laps and now holds the course record.

While it was a gruelling day and the legs were sore for most of it, it was exceptional craic and extremely well organised by Galway Trail Running Club. The event is much more about community than competition and the majority of participants outdid their expectations. Those who didn’t will no doubt be back again in 2027 for “one more lap”, “one more year”.