Belgium has won the title of world champion in Backyard Ultra, an extreme endurance event where runners must complete a 6.7km loop every hour until only one participant remains. Find out how Benoît and the Belgian team pushed their limits to set a new world record during this competition.
Belgium recently won the World Backyard Championship, which was held in mid-October in Retie. Among the Belgian runners selected for this event was Benoît, one of the country’s top 15 athletes chosen to represent the nation. His selection is the result of his performances in previous races, notably his 50 loops completed during a Backyard Ultra.
What is the Backyard Ultra?
The Backyard Ultra is a unique endurance event. Participants must complete a 6.7 kilometer loop in less than an hour. Every hour, a new loop begins, until there is only one rider left in the running. This race tests the athletes’ bodies as well as their minds, pushing them to constantly push their limits.
Exceptional Belgian performances
For the world championships which take place every two years, each national team races on its own loop, in its country. In the 2024 edition, three Belgian riders — Frank Gielen, Merijn Geerts and Ivo Steyaert — completed 110 laps in 110 hours, setting a new world record. Benoît, for his part, completed 51 laps, or 342 kilometers. “The fact that we all managed to do 50 hours is beautiful. No world team has ever managed to do it”he emphasizes.
In 2020, Belgium had already won the world championship. Benoît had then completed 34 loops, while the leader of their team had completed 75.
An activity discovered during confinement
Benoît discovered Backyard Ultra four years ago, during online challenges launched during confinement. “During Covid, we did online challenges. It was a bit like the Backyard. We had defined a 6 or 7 kilometer loop that we had to do in an hour maximum, to be repeated every hour”he explains. “Everyone ran in their village and shared the news live on the internet.”
Seduced by the concept, he has since invested in this discipline. Benoît trains four to five times a week, covering between 60 and 80 kilometers per week. “When I prepare for a Backyard, I try to increase my training volume”he specifies.
What he particularly appreciates in this activity is surpassing himself, “going further than you think you can go”confides Benoît. “The human aspect, team spirit and mutual support between participants” are also very important aspects of the Backyard, he says. During the world championships, he was the only French speaker on the team, but managed to forge strong bonds with the other participants. “Even when I stopped running, I stayed there to encourage them”he remembers.
Towards new challenges
The Backyard Ultra continues to gain popularity, and Benoît knows he will have to surpass himself to be selected for the next world championships in two years. “The level has become very high. I will have to do more than 51 hours if I still want to be there”he admits. Determined, he plans to intensify his training to achieve this goal.
Next competition in Belgium
For enthusiasts and the curious, the next Backyard Ultra competition in Belgium is scheduled for Retie on April 26, 2025. More information is available on the official website: www.backyardbelgium.com/fr/information/, and registrations can be done via this page: www.sqmtime.com/fr-legendsbackyardbelgium.
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