Results: 2026
| Category | Name | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | Kelly Swanson | 37 laps (154.17 mi) |
| Second | Jerry Hanna | 33 laps (137.50 mi) |
| Third | Nicole Cruz | 31 laps (129.17 mi) |
161 runners started.
The lap totals are the official results’ counts and are not marked preliminary, but they look like raw mat crossings: Hanna’s last crossing came 32:13:17 after the start, 13 minutes into the 33rd hour, and Cruz’s at 31:16:16, so their completed yards may be one lower. Swanson’s last crossing was at 36:47:02, about 8:47 PM on Sunday, 4 hours 34 minutes after Hanna’s. No organizer summary had been posted by November 9.
Source: RunSignup: Big Tex Backyard Ultra 2026 official results (Hardloop Endurance timing). Checked November 9, 2026.
Event Overview
A last-runner-standing backyard ultra at Stephen F. Austin State Park in San Felipe, west of Houston, with a 4.167-mile crushed-gravel yard every hour until one runner is left.
| Date | Nov 7-8, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Location | Stephen F. Austin State Park, San Felipe, Texas, USA |
| Format | Backyard Ultra |
| Terrain | Trail |
| Region | North America |
| Distance / duration | 4.167 mi every hour |
| State / area | Texas (TX) |
| Course model | Loop |
| Edition note | The fourth edition, on November 7–8, 2026. RunSignup’s official results list 161 runners and credit Kelly Swanson with the win and 37 laps. The separate Last Rucker Standing division has been folded into the main race: ruckers may still ruck, but there is no separate course or division this year. Big's race page lists the category as "Bronze". The organizer's site says TROT "has applied for a 2026 Bronze Coin and 2027 Silver Ticket", while its RunSignup page calls 2026 "a Bronze Ticket race". The organizer says live tracking will be posted but has not published the link yet. The TROT page calls 2026 both the "fourth year" and "year three"; RunSignup says year four, which matches results from 2023, 2024 and 2025. |
| Elevation gain | Minimal. The organizer's Big's listing gives about 10 ft of climb per loop. |
| Cutoff | Each 4.167-mile yard must be finished within the hour, and runners must be back inside the corral before the top of the next hour, with whistle warnings at 3, 2 and 1 minutes. There is no fixed overall finish. The race continues until one runner completes a final yard alone, and that runner cannot continue beyond it. If nobody completes one more yard than everyone else, there is no winner. |
| Start | 8:00 AM Central, Saturday, November 7, 2026. Packet pickup and personal setup run from noon to 7:00 PM on Friday, November 6, at the park's Group Dining Hall. |
| Field size | RunSignup caps the Last Runner Standing event at 196 and showed 18 places left on October 20, 2026. Big's race page lists a capacity of 300. More than 100 runners took part in 2025. |
| Highlights | Flat crushed-gravel state park loop, Course record: 37 yards (2026) |
Big Tex Backyard Ultra winners by year
Winner, yards and assist at each edition. The race started at Cat Spring in 2023 and moved to Stephen F. Austin State Park in San Felipe in 2024.
| Year | Date and venue | Winner | Yards | Assist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | November 7, San Felipe | Kelly Swanson | 37 | Jerry Hanna, 33 |
| 2025 | October 18, San Felipe | Kendall Picado Fallas (Costa Rica) | 28 | Alyssa McClellan, 27 |
| 2024 | November 2, San Felipe | Shea Frederick | 28 | Not confirmed in the sources checked |
| 2023 | October 21, Cat Spring | Isaac Cornelius | 22 | Seth Block, 21 |
2025 comes from the official RunSignup results and 2023 from UltraSignup and DUV, which agree. For 2024, the organizer's Big's listing names Frederick as holder of the 28-yard record and UltraSignup lists him first with 116.676 miles. DUV and Yardlore show only 14 yards as the best 2024 result, which conflicts with those sources, and the full 2024 result list was not available to confirm the assist.
Sources: Official 2025 results (RunSignup); Big Tex Backyard on Big's race calendar (record holders); 2023 results (UltraSignup); DUV: 2023 Big Tex Backyard results; Yardlore: Big Tex Backyard edition history.
Course & Terrain
A single 4.167-mile (6.7 km) loop on the park's wide, well-maintained trails, mostly crushed gravel. The same loop is used for every yard, day and night. The start/finish corral sits next to the group dining hall pavilion. The organizer's Strava route is tentative and will be measured and adjusted before race day.
Key course features to know before comparing this race:
- Wide crushed-gravel trails in Stephen F. Austin State Park
- Start corral beside the group dining hall pavilion
- One loop for every yard, day and night
Flat, non-technical trail. Big's listing describes the surface as dirt, gravel and grass, and the organizer describes the park's trails as primarily crushed gravel. Trekking poles are not allowed.
Format & Support (as run)
| Qualification | Open entry on RunSignup, with no qualifying result required. Entry is $160 including the $10 fee through October 31, then $170.60 until the 8:00 AM start on November 7. Entry fees are non-refundable and bibs are not transferable. Results count toward the Big's At-Large list, which ranks each runner's best backyard result between August 16, 2025 and August 15, 2027. |
|---|---|
| Support model | One fully stocked aid station at the start/finish, next to a timing tent and a medical area. It serves water, ice, Gatorade, sodas, electrolytes, sandwiches, fruit, sweet and salty snacks, and hot food in the evening. The aid station is cupless, so runners bring their own cup or bottle, and no NSAIDs are handed out. All participants get race apparel and a finisher's medal, and runners who complete 24 yards get a 100-mile buckle. |
| Crew / pacers | No pacers and no aid from crew or anyone else during a yard. Crews help only at the start/finish, after a yard ends and before the next one starts. Each runner's setup in the grass area around the Group Dining Hall is limited to 10 ft by 10 ft and can go up from noon on Friday. The crew section permits one or two crew to stay overnight while their runner remains active, but the camping section prohibits family/crew camping there; confirm the permitted arrangement with TROT. No ground fires, smoking or loud music. |
| Drop bags | A group ground tarp at the start/finish holds drop bags, but runners are encouraged to set up their own area along the course line. |
Why This Race Matters
Trail Racing Over Texas (TROT) first held Big Tex in October 2023 at Cat Spring, then moved it to Stephen F. Austin State Park in San Felipe in 2024. The field has grown from about 40 starters in 2023 to more than 100 in 2025, when Kendall Picado Fallas of Costa Rica won with 28 yards and Alyssa McClellan was the assist with 27. The organizer's Big's listing gives 28 yards as the course record, shared by Picado Fallas and Shea Frederick (2024). The winner earns a dollar for every mile run and the runner-up a dollar for every yard completed.
Historical benchmark notes in the directory record (verify current records with the linked official sources):
- Course record: 37 yards (154.17 miles), Kelly Swanson, 2026, as credited in the official results. The previous record was 28 yards, shared by Shea Frederick (2024) and Kendall Picado Fallas of Costa Rica (2025).
- Women's best: 37 yards, Kelly Swanson, 2026, when she won outright. The previous best was Alyssa McClellan's 27 in 2025.
- First edition (2023, Cat Spring): Isaac Cornelius won with 22 yards, one more than Seth Block.
Preparing for a Race Like Big Tex Backyard Ultra
The backyard ultra race guide covers the format as a whole. These guides go deeper:
- Backyard ultras explained: Rules, distance math, current records and how a race ends.
- Backyard ultra training plan: A 16-week framework with hourly-loop rehearsals and a printable worksheet.
- Backyard ultra race strategy: Loop pacing, the routine between loops, sleep and knowing when to stop.
- Backyard ultra nutrition: A fueling framework to test for eating and drinking between loops.
Best Fit
- First-time backyard runners who want a flat, non-technical loop
- Runners aiming for 24 yards and the 100-mile buckle
- Crews who want campsites and RV hookups inside the park
Planning Notes
- Practice the exact hourly routine: loop, eat, foot check, bottle refill, and back to the start. The format rewards repeatability.
- Train for terrain-specific fatigue. Technical trails and mountain courses demand downhill durability, hiking efficiency, and reliable night lighting.
- The directory marks this as having comparatively simpler logistics. That editorial label is not a safety rating; verify cutoffs, terrain, support, crew access, and withdrawal procedures.
Event FAQs
When is the 2026 Big Tex Backyard Ultra?
Saturday, November 7, 2026. The first yard started at 8:00 AM Central after packet pickup on Friday, November 6, and the race ran into Sunday evening: Kelly Swanson’s last lap crossing came 36:47:02 after the start.
Where is the Big Tex Backyard Ultra held?
At Stephen F. Austin State Park, Park Rd 38, San Felipe, Texas, about 45 minutes west of Houston. The 2023 edition was at Cat Spring; the race moved to the state park in 2024.
How many yards is the Big Tex Backyard Ultra record?
The official 2026 results credit Kelly Swanson with 37 yards (154.17 miles), which is also the women's best. Before 2026 the record was 28 yards, shared by Shea Frederick (2024) and Kendall Picado Fallas (2025).
Where can I find Big Tex Backyard Ultra results?
The organizer posts results on RunSignup. In 2025 Kendall Picado Fallas of Costa Rica won with 28 yards and Alyssa McClellan was the assist with 27. In 2026 Kelly Swanson won, credited with 37 laps, ahead of Jerry Hanna (33) and Nicole Cruz (31).
Is Big Tex a Big's Backyard ticket race?
Big's race page lists its category as "Bronze". The organizer says it "has applied for a 2026 Bronze Coin and 2027 Silver Ticket". Every runner's yards also count toward the Big's At-Large list for 2027.
Related Preparation
- Compare this race in the full 2026 calendar
- Browse the 2026 backyard ultra calendar
- Open the Backyard Ultra format guide
- Compare all race formats
- Use the timed-race pace calculator
- Build a backyard yard and rest-time schedule
- Estimate race calories and plan fueling
- Build a crew and drop-bag plan
- Build a race-specific gear checklist
Verification & Sources
Verification scope: the listed edition's date, location, format, and available logistics were checked against the event-specific official sources below during the directory review dated November 9, 2026. Organizers can revise details after review.
- Organizer's Big Tex Backyard page (Trail Racing Over Texas) — https://www.trailracingovertexas.com/bigtexbackyard
- RunSignup race page and backyard rules — https://runsignup.com/Race/TX/SanFelipe/BigTexBackyardUltra
- 2026 event info and schedule (RunSignup) — https://runsignup.com/Race/BigTexBackyardUltra/Page/2026-Event-Info
- 2026 events, prices and places left (RunSignup) — https://runsignup.com/Race/Events/TX/SanFelipe/BigTexBackyardUltra
- Big Tex Backyard on Big's race calendar — https://bigsbackyardultra.com/races/bigtex/
- Official 2025 results (RunSignup) — https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/159220
- Texas State Parks reservations — https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/reservations/
- Multiday Running event directory review scope: November 9, 2026.