MAD Backyard Ultra

Runners, let’s talk about the true X-factor for the MAD Backyard Ultra weekend: the weather.

In a last-runner-standing format, the elements will test your grit just as much as the mileage. Historically, mid-January in Chattanooga is brisk, cold, and breezy. You can expect average daytime highs to peak around 48°F to 50°F, while the overnight hours will routinely see temperatures plunge to a freezing 30°F to 33°F.

When you are out there grinding through the hours at Camp Jordan Park, be prepared for a heavy canopy of overcast skies and about a 33% historical probability of rain on any given day. If the precipitation does hit, it typically comes down as a steady, moderate rain. Add in an average wind speed of nearly 11 mph, and that deep nighttime chill is going to cut right through you if you aren't layered up properly.

The MAD Backyard Ultra is won by the stubborn and the prepared. The freezing nights are when the mental game truly begins. Pack those waterproof layers, bring plenty of extra dry socks, and make sure your crew is dialed in to keep your core temperature up during those brief rests between yards.

Who is ready to outlast the cold? 🥶🏃‍♂️

🚨 COURSE UPDATE: A Smoother, Drier Yard! 🚨

We’re making a major upgrade to the MAD Backyard Ultra course layout, and it is going to be a huge win for both runners and crews!

We are officially moving the start/finish line. We will no longer be setting up at the far end of the gravel parking lot. Instead, the central hub is moving up to the beginning of the parking lot, right near the large pavilion.

What this means for race day:

🏃‍♂️ A Better Course Flow: The distance remains exactly 4.167 miles, but we’ve eliminated the out-and-back section in the middle of the yard. Now, the out-and-back happens at the very beginning and end of your lap. You’ll head out, settle into two continuous loops around Camp Jordan, and cruise straight back into the finish area.

⛺ Higher & Drier Camping: Moving the hub near the large pavilion puts all runner tents and canopies on much higher ground. If the weather decides to test us with rain, you’ll have far fewer issues with water pooling in your personal aid station.

A better rhythm out on the paved loops and a much more comfortable basecamp experience between laps.

Who is ready to set up camp and stack some loops on the updated layout? Let us know below! 👇

For years, my training routine involved pushing the pace, stacking up the miles, and always chasing the next endurance milestone. But lately, some of my most important miles are the slow, stiff ones walked alongside my oldest training partner.

Harley has been by mine and Amanda's side forever. Watching a companion who once bounded effortlessly down the trail now take her time navigating the sidewalk has been a profound lesson in patience and the changing seasons of physical fitness.

As endurance athletes, it is incredibly easy to get caught up in the metrics—tracking heart rates, chasing a 3:30 marathon finish, or pushing our bodies to the absolute limit over 100 miles. We always want to go further and faster. But watching my senior pup adapt to a slower, more deliberate rhythm reminds me that true longevity isn't just about refusing to quit. It is about having the grace to adapt. It is recognizing that our bodies change, and that there is immense value in simply keeping moving, no matter the pace.

Some days, a successful effort isn't a massive long run on the Camp Jordan concrete or logging dizzying miles on the track. Sometimes, it is just a slow morning walk, letting her sniff every single tree, and being deeply grateful for the miles we have shared over the last decade. It completely shifts the perspective from what we might be losing to what we are lucky enough to still do.

To everyone out there managing the aches, the stiffness, and the shifting seasons of their own athletic journeys—keep moving forward, even if the pace looks a little different these days.

Looking for a different kind of dizzy? 🔄🏃‍♂️

If you're currently building your endurance base for the next MAD Backyard Ultra, why not test your pacing on the track? We are gearing up for the Circle Endurance Event on Saturday, November 21st, right on the rubber at the Ringgold High School track.

It’s the perfect opportunity to lock into a steady rhythm and see exactly how many laps you can stack up before the clock runs out. There are no hills, no roots, and no navigation to worry about—just you, the track, and the mental game of turning left.

Whether you are looking to set a new personal distance record or just want a highly controlled environment to test your fueling and shoe rotation, the track is the place to do it.

Registration is open—who is ready to hit the track with us this November? 🏃‍♀️💨
https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=132950

Circle Endurance Event 3, 6, 12, 24 Hour November 21, 2026: Circle 24 race in Ringgold, GA. Organized by Chattanooga Track Club. Register now on UltraSignup.

The MAD Backyard Ultra isn’t just about who lasts the longest on race day—it’s about who keeps coming back to the concrete, year after year, lap after lap. 💥🛣️

Since our very first starting whistle in 2022, hundreds of runners have tested their limits on the Camp Jordan paths. While a single long run on this 100% paved course is physically demanding, returning annually to compound that distance requires an entirely different level of joint conditioning and mental fortitude. A select few have logged truly staggering lifetime mileage totals, proving they have absolutely dialed in their shoe rotations and impact resilience.

Top 10 All-Time Mileage Accumulators

Kyle Kalbus — 537.79 miles

Melody Diehl — 279.32 miles

Dusty Elliott — 254.31 miles

Jamie Ryan — 254.27 miles

David Kyle — 250.17 miles

Bob Adams — 241.86 miles

Jonathan McKenzie — 237.69 miles

Patrick O'Hagan — 229.29 miles

Shawn Parnaby — 212.56 miles

Matthew Williams — 208.38 miles

A massive shoutout to Kyle Kalbus for sitting completely alone in the 500+ mile club! Logging over 500 miles across multiple years on a hard-surface loop is an incredible feat of endurance and persistence. The margins in the rest of the top five are razor-thin, with mere fractions of a mile separating some of these legendary backyard efforts.

Who is moving up this leaderboard next year? Drop a comment if you are aiming to add to your lifetime total and hit a new personal best on the concrete! 👇

Trail legs are great. But do you have concrete legs? 🛣️💥

The MAD Backyard Ultra loop is 100% paved concrete around Camp Jordan. It makes for an incredibly fast, predictable, and weather-resistant course—no ankle-rolling roots or deep mud bogs here.

But make no mistake: concrete takes a toll over 12, 24, or 30+ hours. The runners who survive the longest in the yard are the ones who dial in their shoe rotations and prepare their joints for the hard surface.

If you're building a base for 2027, don't just run the soft trails. Get some time on the greenways.

How often do you rotate your shoes during a 50+ mile effort? 👟

Since the very first lap in 2022, the MAD Backyard Ultra has brought together an incredible community of runners. 🏃‍♂️💨 Over the last five years, 222 unique runners have toed the line for a total of 300 race entries. But what truly blows us away is how far you all travel to run with us!

We've hosted participants from 21 different U.S. states and 3 different countries. 🗺️

🇺🇸 States Represented:
Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

🌎 Countries Represented:
United States, Canada (Quebec), and Panama!

It’s amazing to see folks from all over the map pushing their limits on the course. Whether you're driving across town or flying in internationally, our entire crew—including our fantastic volunteers loves welcoming every single one of you to the starting line.

Who's ready to add their home state or country to the list next time? Drop where you'll be traveling from in the comments! 👇

The Great Backyard Gear Debate: Hydration Vest or Handheld Bottle? 💧🤔

One of the best parts of the MAD Backyard Ultra is the format. You are never more than 4.1667 miles away from your personal basecamp.

Because we are running on a fast, flat, paved concrete loop around Camp Jordan, you don't need to haul a massive pack like you might on a remote mountain route. A lot of runners ditch the heavy hydration vest entirely and run light to stay quick on their feet and give their shoulders a break.

I’ll go first: when I’m tackling a short-loop format or pushing through a 6-hour block, I always prefer leaving the vest behind and sticking with a handheld.

What is your go-to strategy for a looped format? Are you packing a vest for the long haul out of habit, or running light with a handheld? Let us know below! 👇

🥇 UNPOPULAR OPINION: WE DON'T GIVE OUT FINISHER MEDALS. ❌🏅

In almost every other sport on the planet, a "DNF" (Did Not Finish) is a disappointment. It's a rough day at the office.

But at the MAD Backyard Ultra, a DNF is a badge of absolute honor. 🛑💪

Because of the way a backyard ultra works, the bell keeps ringing until there is literally only one person left standing. That means every single other runner in the field—whether they complete 3 loops or 30—technically finishes the weekend with a DNF.

But here is the magic: it means you ran until your absolute limit. You didn't stop because an arbitrary finish line told you to. You stopped because you gave the yard every single ounce of grit you had left. There is something incredibly freeing about a race where the goal isn't a clock or a distance—it's simply finding your breaking point and smashing right through it.

To celebrate that exact grit, we don't hand out standard medals. Instead, every runner who finds their limit in the yard takes home our official MAD DNF Coin. 🪙🔥

It's a heavy, hard-earned reminder that you didn't quit when things got tough—you stood your ground until the yard finally won. It’s a piece of hardware that says you left it all out there.

We are a long way out from the January 2027 edition, but the challenge is already waiting. Are you ready to earn your coin? 🛎️

⛺🍳 CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE: RACE WEEKEND EDITION 🪵🔥

Describe your absolute ideal race environment:

Option A: Standing shoulder-to-shoulder in a crowded, chaotic starting corral with 5,000 strangers, checking your watch nervously as the clock ticks down to a single mass start. ⏱️ nervous energy, traffic jams on the trail, and it's over in a flash.

Option B: Hanging out at a personal basecamp tent with a cooler, your favorite people, hot food sizzling on a griddle, sharing stories, and stepping up to the line every hour just to see how far your legs can take you. ⛺🥓

If you picked Option B, you’re already speaking our language.

The MAD Backyard Ultra isn't just an endurance race—it’s essentially a massive, weekend-long camping trip wrapped inside a running challenge.

In the backyard format, the "race village" at Camp Jordan becomes a temporary city. Your crew sets up a home base with canopy tents and lawn chairs. Neighbors share supplies, crews cheer for every single runner coming through the chute, and the community bonds over hot coffee and midnight pancake flips.

You aren't competing against the person next to you; you are surviving with them. Everyone supports everyone until there is literally only one person left standing.

It’s a completely different vibe than any standard road or trail race you’ve ever lined up for. If you’ve never experienced a backyard race village, you're missing out on the absolute best part of ultra culture.

We are a long way out from the January 2027 edition, but it’s never too early to start planning your basecamp setup. Who are you bringing in your crew? 👇