OT: if you think you're hard ...

[TheBrownDog]

This just entered my peripheral vision and sorry if it's already been done but it's proper heel leather tough.

The Big Dog Backyard Ultra. It's a race with no finish. You run till there's one person left. According to the BEEB, the current record is held by a Belgian dentist who kept going for 75 hours and covered 312 miles. I did a couple of iron man triathlons back in the day, which was forward motion for 17-18 hours. I was hallucinating towards the end of both of them. I can't imagine what it would take to stay awake for three days and still keep moving forward.

Hoomans are amazing.

http://bigsbackyardultra.com/

And the BEEB newslink

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/56720358

[sean_iow]

There's a film about one of them, might be the Danish one? It's either on Prime or YouTube I'd guess. It's a clever concept and pretty sadistic, but as it was dreamed up the the creator of the Barkley Marathon you'd expect nothing less.

Incredible they can keep going for that long. The sting in the tail is to be the last one standing you have to complete the lap, so if after 75 hours you and one other are the last 2 runners and both start the lap but neither finish or you miss the time cut then there's no winner.

[sean_iow]

https://youtu.be/vc4yEqBx9J0

[jameso]

Running 312 miles is almost unbelievable. That's not that far off the furthest I've ever done on a bike in one ride, which is nothing special among audaxers but to think about running most of that distance is mind-boggling. Also mind-boggling that it took him 'only' 75hrs. 100 miles+ a day.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2400291/ - this is a good film about a bonkers running race.

(my long distance running aspiration/optimism posted on here not long ago has hit reality which makes this all the more amazing)

[HUX]

If you haven't heard Cliff Young......

https://www.adventure-journal.com/2017/ ... ultra-win/

[TheBrownDog]

If you haven't heard Cliff Young......

https://www.adventure-journal.com/2017/ ... ultra-win/

HUX big thanks as I grew up in Aussie and Cliff Young was one of my, and all my mates, childhood heroes. Bloody. Total. Farking. LEGEND.

What he did on that run was simply super hooman. He trained by chasing the sheep round his paddocks.

He set a new standard for that event too, which has been completely eclipsed by other runners, but he made the professionals step up in a big way.

[sean_iow]

Also mind-boggling that it took him 'only' 75hrs. 100 miles+ a day.

The lap length on the Backyard is 4.16 miles so 24 laps ( 1 day) is exactly 100 miles. Early on they were running a lap is under 40 mins so get 20 minutes rest/eating/toilet break before lining up again in the start box.

Towards the end they were getting in just in time to start again, utterly metal. Quite like the idea of it

[boxelder]

So to get a record, do at least two need to break it - i.e. does it finish on e it's down to 1 runner, or can they keep going?

[sean_iow]

I think it finishes as soon as there's only 1 left but not sure.

I vaguely remember that someone got their helpers to assist the other runner between laps to encourage him to keep going as she wanted to keep going, and said she regretted it when he got a second wind. Might have been the Belgiun Dentist?

[macinblack]

There was a young chap at my daughter's wedding last weekend who had broken the record for this the week before, he did 333 miles in 3 and a half days. He still came second though. Amazing effort and he is off to compete in the originator event this Autumn.