Tarawera 100 Mile champion
Won the women’s race in 20:19:19 and finished fifth overall.
Source-checked athlete record · Updated Aug 18, 2026
Katie Wright
First woman to win a backyard ultra outright
Katie Wright made backyard history with an outright win at Riverhead in 2019, then won the Tarawera 100 Mile in 2021.
New ZealandBlenheim, New ZealandW35–39
The record so far
Katie Wright is a New Zealand-based ultrarunner known for breakthrough backyard performances, trail victories, and repeated starts at the Barkley Marathons.
At the 2019 Riverhead Backyard ReLaps, Wright completed 30 yards and became the first woman known to win a backyard ultra outright. Later that year she reached 50 yards at Big’s, finishing fourth overall in a race ultimately won by Maggie Guterl.
Wright added a major trail victory at the 2021 Tarawera 100 Mile, winning the women’s race in 20:19:19 and placing fifth overall. Her results since then have included a Tarawera 100-mile podium, a top-five Tarawera 100K finish, and Barkley starts.
Defining performances
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Historic Riverhead Backyard victory
Completed 30 yards to become the first woman known to win a backyard ultra outright.
50 yards at Big’s Backyard Ultra
Finished fourth overall after 208.33 miles in one of the year’s deepest backyard races.
Ruahine Range single-push traverse
Completed the full range in one continuous effort with Eleanor Arnst.
Performance history
| Date | Event | Performance | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarawera Ultramarathon100 km trail | 11:12:53 | 5th woman · 21st overall | View ↗ | |
| The Barkley MarathonsMountain endurance | 20 miles · 11:01:39 | One loop | View ↗ | |
| Tarawera Ultramarathon100-mile trail | 18:19:22 | 3rd woman · 18th overall | View ↗ | |
| The Barkley MarathonsMountain endurance | 20 miles · 12:47:24 | One loop | View ↗ | |
| Big’s Backyard UltraBackyard ultra | 27 yards · 181.062 km | 6th woman · 31st overall | View ↗ | |
| Tarawera Ultramarathon100-mile trail | 20:19:19 | 1st woman · 5th overall | View ↗ | |
| Backyard Ultra World Team Championships — New ZealandBackyard ultra | 23 yards · 154.238 km | Team New Zealand | View ↗ | |
| Big’s Backyard UltraBackyard ultra | 50 yards · 335.300 km | 2nd woman · 4th overall | View ↗ | |
| Riverhead Backyard ReLapsBackyard ultra | 30 yards · 201.180 km | 1st overall | View ↗ |
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