Garden City Backyard Ultra

Results: 2026

The organizer-linked RaceResult table is headed as a live leaderboard and is not labelled final; it lists Van Leer as the only runner still competing and Fuglevik as not completing his next lap after 37 completed yards. The October 4 end date is inferred: a 7:00 AM October 3 start plus 37 hourly starts and Van Leer's 52:24 last lap places his 38th finish at about 8:52 PM on October 4 AEST. This is not a separately published official finish timestamp. The listed 38 yards are below the 2025 event record of 43 yards.

Source: Milepost Events (RaceResult) — provisional 2026 leaderboard. Checked October 10, 2026.

Event Overview

An hourly backyard race based at Toowoomba Showgrounds, using a loop of trail, grass, dirt, and bitumen until one runner remains.

Course & Terrain

A 6.706 km mixed-surface loop returning to the race village each hour.

Why This Race Matters

The Garden City Backyard Ultra began in October 2024 at the Toowoomba Showgrounds in Queensland. Race director John Hughes organizes it with deputy race director Theresa Evans, and the date is set to coincide with the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers. Each 6.706 km yard starts on the hour, and the last runner to complete a yard alone wins. The loop crosses the dirt of the Main Arena, the bitumen Peter Watts Criterium cycling track, grass and trail in the Wilderness Challenge area and a rocky section called Theresa’s Gully, then goes partway around the Showgrounds Lake; Big’s Backyard Ultra lists 380 ft of climb per loop. Jayden McCormack won the first edition in 2024 with 28 yards, ahead of Zach Baur with 27. In 2025 the organizer’s results list 199 runners. Chris Van Leer won with 43 yards (288.4 km), one more than Sam Christie, and Leah Meyer ran 27 yards, the most by a woman, finishing fifth overall.

Historical benchmark notes in the directory record (verify current records with the linked official sources):

• Event record: Chris Van Leer, 43 yards (288.4 km), 2025
• 2026 provisional winner: Chris Van Leer, 38 yards (254.828 km)
• Women: Leah Meyer, 27 yards (181.1 km), 2025 (best in the organizer’s complete 2024 and 2025 results)

Preparing for a Race Like Garden City 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 tested fueling routine for eating and drinking between loops.

Planning Notes

• Practice the exact hourly routine: loop, eat, foot check, bottle refill, and back to the start. The format rewards repeatability.
• 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.

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
• Build a crew and drop-bag plan
• Build a race-specific gear checklist