Results: 2026
| Category | Name | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Overall winner | Łukasz Wróbel (Poland) | 114 yards · 764.27 km |
| Assist (DNF) | Oriol Antolí Sarrau (Spain) | 113 yards · 757.57 km |
| 3rd (DNF) | Merijn Geerts (Belgium) | 110 yards · 737.46 km |
| 4th (DNF) | Christophe Baud (France) | 100 yards · 670.42 km |
| Women — most yards (10th overall, DNF) | Sarah Perry (United Kingdom) | 76 yards · 509.52 km |
Kilometres are the organizer’s; DUV lists slightly different distances for the same yards (764.484 km for Wróbel). The organizer’s list has 103 names, while DUV and Yardlore count 102 runners. Based on the 10:00 start on April 25 and 114 completed yards, the final yard ended before 04:00 on April 30.
Source: Legends Backyard Belgium — official race results. Checked October 19, 2026.
Next edition: April 24, 2027. The organizer’s website and its SQM Time entry page list the next edition for Saturday, April 24, 2027, with the first bell at 10:00 at Domein Beverdonk. Entry is €129 excluding handling fees.
Event Overview
A spring last-one-standing backyard ultra at Domein Beverdonk in Retie, organized by Backyard Belgium vzw within the Legends Trails family. Łukasz Wróbel won it with 116 yards in 2025, a world record at the time, and again with 114 yards in 2026.
| Date | Apr 25-30, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Location | Domein Beverdonk, Retie, Belgium |
| Format | Backyard Ultra |
| Terrain | Mixed |
| Region | Europe |
| State / area | Antwerp |
| Course model | Loop |
| Elevation gain | About 30–35 m per yard (DUV lists 35 m; Yardlore lists 30 m) |
| Cutoff | One hour per yard. Each yard starts exactly one hour after the last, with warnings at 3, 2 and 1 minutes, and runners must be in the corral at the bell. The race is open-ended and the winner is the last runner to complete a yard; all others are DNF. |
| Start | 10:00 (first bell) |
| Field size | DUV lists a participant limit of 100 for recent editions, but the organizer expanded basecamp capacity for 2026, and DUV and Yardlore list 102 runners that year (the organizer’s list has 103). |
| Highlights | 6.706 km yard every hour from a fully catered basecamp, Separate day and night courses, Course record of 116 yards, a world record when it was set in 2025 |
Legends Backyard Ultra winners, 2021–2026
Winner, assist and the deepest result by a woman at each edition. Yards are completed yards.
| Year | Date | Winner | Yards | Assist | Most yards by a woman |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Apr 25 | Łukasz Wróbel (POL) | 114 | Oriol Antolí Sarrau (ESP), 113 | Sarah Perry (GBR), 76 |
| 2025 | Apr 26 | Łukasz Wróbel (POL) | 116 | Jan Vandekerckhove (BEL), 115 | Kathleen Van Winckel (BEL), 21 |
| 2024 | Apr 20 | Merijn Geerts (BEL) | 53 | Matthias Pelgrims and Brecht Vandamme (BEL), 52 | Claudia Müller (GER), 35 |
| 2023 | Apr 15 | Szilard Fodor (HUN) | 64 | Brecht Vandamme (BEL), 63 | Dina Roman (BEL), 38 |
| 2022 | Apr 24 | Frank Gielen (BEL) | 42 | Kevin Sneyders and Matthias Pelgrims (BEL), 41 | Karen Cluckers (BEL), 36 |
| 2021 | Jun 11 | Merijn Geerts (BEL) | 43 | Fanny Jean (FRA), 42 | Fanny Jean (FRA), 42 |
The 2021 to 2023 editions were held at De Hoge Rielen in Kasterlee; the 2025 and 2026 editions at Domein Beverdonk in Retie. The organizer says it moved to Retie in 2024, while DUV still lists the April 2024 edition under Kasterlee. Where two runners share the assist, both stopped after the same number of yards. Checked October 19, 2026.
Sources: Legends Backyard Belgium — race results since 2021; DUV — Legends Backyard Ultra event history.
Course & Terrain
Backyard ultra on a 6.706 km yard from basecamp De Waterval, using a day loop from 7 am to 7 pm and an out-and-back night course from 7 pm to 7 am.
Key course features to know before comparing this race:
- Day loop of gravel roads, tarmac and wooded sections
- Night out-and-back on gravel roads and tarmac
- Reflective Legends Trails yellow arrows on the whole loop
- Hourly return to the Legends Basecamp at De Waterval
Largely flat and runnable, with a mix of gravel, asphalt and woodland paths. The course is not closed to the public, so runners share it with other users and occasional vehicles. A banner marks the junction where the day and night courses split, and the race director announces each switch. GPX files are not shared, and trekking poles are not allowed.
Late April in Retie can bring cold nights and mild days; Yardlore records 2°C to 20°C under overcast skies for the 2026 race. Deep races last four to five days, so runners need layers, gloves and rain kit for several nights.
Format & Support (as run)
| Qualification | No qualifying standard is published. Entries open the last Friday of May on SQM Time and are first-come, first-served with no waitlist. In Team World Championship qualifying years the race is a Silver Ticket event for Team Belgium, but only a Belgian winner earns the ticket; in 2026 none was awarded because Wróbel won. |
|---|---|
| Support model | Entry includes a timing chip, basecamp drinks and race nutrition, hot breakfast, lunch and dinner, midnight snacks, hot showers and indoor toilets. For 2026 the organizer introduced assigned basecamp spots: a shared 3×3 tent it provides, a place in a large communal tent, or an indoor spot, subject to availability. There are no medals: runners receive a DNF T-shirt or the winner’s trophy. |
| Crew / pacers | There is no limit on crew numbers, but crew must use the designated basecamp aisles and may not enter the starting corral. Pacing is strictly forbidden, and nothing may be handed to or taken from runners on the course; assistance is allowed only in basecamp. A personal crew bracelet (€30) gives access to the runners’ food and standard drinks. |
Why This Race Matters
Legends is an individual race, not a championship, yet its last two editions ended at 116 and 114 yards. In 2025 Łukasz Wróbel and Jan Vandekerckhove both passed the then world record of 110 yards, and Wróbel’s 116 became the new mark before Phil Gore ran 119 at Dead Cow Gully in June 2025. In 2026 four runners reached 100 yards or more. The organizer also stages Belgium’s satellite race for the Backyard Ultra World Team Championship at the same Retie venue.
Historical benchmark notes in the directory record (verify current records with the linked official sources):
- Course record: Łukasz Wróbel (Poland), 116 yards (777.90 km) in 2025, a world record at the time. Phil Gore’s 119 yards at Dead Cow Gully in June 2025 later surpassed it.
- Jan Vandekerckhove’s 115-yard assist in 2025 is listed by Yardlore as the Belgian record.
- Women’s course record: Sarah Perry (Great Britain), 76 yards in 2026, per Yardlore.
- 2026 national records listed by Yardlore: Oriol Antolí Sarrau 113 yards (Spain), Patrik Hrotek 98 (Slovakia), Rodolfo Ramírez 96 (Mexico), Verneri Teppo 71 (Finland) and Eivind Svellingen 66 (Norway).
- Separate from Legends, the organizer’s Belgian satellite races for the Backyard Ultra World Team Championship produced Karel Sabbe’s 75 yards (2020) and Ivo Steyaert and Merijn Geerts’s 101 (2022) at De Hoge Rielen, and the shared 110 yards by Frank Gielen, Ivo Steyaert and Merijn Geerts in Retie in 2024.
Preparing for a Race Like Legends 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.
Best Fit
- Experienced backyard runners chasing a deep international field
- Belgian runners targeting a Team Belgium Silver Ticket in qualifying years
- Runners who want a fully catered basecamp with hot meals and showers
Planning Notes
- Practice the exact hourly routine: loop, eat, foot check, bottle refill, and back to the start. The format rewards repeatability.
- The directory does not mark this as having simpler logistics. Confirm qualification, terrain, support, registration, medical, and withdrawal requirements before planning around it.
Event FAQs
When is the next Legends Backyard Ultra?
The organizer lists the next first bell for Saturday, April 24, 2027 at 10:00 at Domein Beverdonk in Retie.
Who holds the Legends Backyard Ultra course record?
Łukasz Wróbel of Poland, with 116 yards (777.90 km) in 2025. It was a world record when he set it; he won again in 2026 with 114 yards.
Is the course the same day and night?
No. From 7 am to 7 pm runners use a day loop with gravel, tarmac and wooded sections; from 7 pm to 7 am they run an out-and-back night course on gravel roads and tarmac. Both are 6.706 km.
Do you need to qualify for Legends Backyard Ultra?
No qualifying standard is published. Places are sold first-come, first-served on SQM Time, with no waitlist.
Can crew pace or help runners on the course?
No. Pacing is strictly forbidden and crew may not hand anything to runners on the course; help is allowed only in basecamp, and breaking these rules leads to disqualification.
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
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 October 19, 2026. Organizers can revise details after review.
- Legends Backyard Belgium — official website — https://www.backyardbelgium.com/
- Race information — https://www.backyardbelgium.com/?page_id=28
- Race rules — https://www.backyardbelgium.com/?page_id=25
- Official results since 2021 — https://www.backyardbelgium.com/?page_id=328
- FAQ — https://www.backyardbelgium.com/?page_id=550
- 2027 registration on SQM Time — https://www.sqmtime.com/en-legendsbackyardbelgium-2027
- Legends Backyard Belgium on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/LegendsBackyardBelgium/
- Backyard Belgium on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/backyardbelgium/
- DUV — 2026 results — https://statistik.d-u-v.org/getresultevent.php?event=128409
- Yardlore — Legends Backyard Ultra — https://www.yardlore.com/backyards/legends-backyard-ultra
- Multiday Running event directory review scope: October 19, 2026.