the Capital backyard ultra- a golden ticket event!
Backyard and Golden Ticket Info
The Capital Backyard Ultra will take place at Robert C. McDonell Campground in Potomac, MD, a suburb of Washington, DC. From 6am-8pm there will be a daytime loop comprised of approximately 15% gravel road, 5% road, and 80% single track trail. From 8pm-6am there will be a nighttime loop that is 30% gravel road, 8% trail, and the remainder paved path/road. Each loop will be 4.167 miles, allowing runners to achieve one hundred miles in a 24 hour period. Timing and results will be provided by Mike Melton of MCMTiming. The race is for you, the runner, to push your limits and see what you can truly achieve. This event is a Golden Ticket Race for Big's Backyard Ultra 2021. At Big's in 2021 all national champions from the satellite events in the 2020 World Championship will be invited, along with any runners who exceeded 50 hours. The winner of CBU in 2021 will truly be running with the "Big dogs!"
The Daytime Course
The “day loop” consists of a 0.67 mi stretch of gravel road from the start, a short run along Tuckerman lane to the Cabin John Trail, followed by portions of trail north of the campground.
The Nighttime Course
If all goes well, the night course will make its debut in 2021, allowing runners to suffer even longer! The night loop runs down the gravel road, crosses Tuckerman Lane, and utilizes paved paths in Cabin John Regional Park.
Information
A Big's Backyard Ultra Golden Ticket Event
The Capital Backyard Ultra is pleased to announce that we are a Golden Ticket Event for the World Championship Backyard Ultra, Big's, in Bell Buckle TN! The winner of the Capital Backyard Ultra will receive paid entry to Big's, plus a $200 travel stipend.
Event Details
The Capital Backyard Ultra will begin at 8am on Saturday, May 29, 2021, and proceed until only one runner is remaining.
The format is a 4.167 mile loop that will begin on the hour, every hour. Three minutes before the start of each loop (three minutes before the top of the hour) three whistles will be blown. Two minutes before the top of the hour, two whistles will be blown. One minute before the top of the hour, one whistle will be blown. A bell will ring signifying the start of each round. All runners continuing must be present when the final bell rings.
Race rules
As stated above, all runners must be in the race corral at the start of the hour, or they will not be allowed to continue. They are not allowed to exit the course except to use the porta potty, until they complete the loop. It’s very simple. However ”Simple” does not equate to “Easy.”
The last runner must complete one additional loop to be named the winner. All other runners are DNFs, but they will know that they have truly reached the limit of their endurance. The “winner” will not have this satisfaction but will have another opportunity to find their limit at Big’s in October.
Aid Station
Aid for this event is mostly self-sufficient. Volunteers will be providing ice and water to runners as needed while the runners are on course. Real food will be provided three times daily.
Staging Area
We have a 1000+ square foot covered pavilion adjacent to the starting corral. Depending on how things look in terms of social distancing, there may be some changes to last year which will allow runners to set up closer to the starting line. More on this later.
Crew Access
Crews will have an area within the backyard but not directly adjacent to the starting corral while the race is in progress. We kindly ask that crews keep all extra belongings in this area. We also ask that crews refrain from using porta potties for the last 15 minutes of the hour to respect the needs of the runners.