77-yard Banana Slug assist
Ran 77 loops and 320.83 miles before Scott Martin completed the 78th to win. The organizer noted that only two women had gone farther in a backyard ultra at the time.
Athlete profile · Sources reviewed Oct 22, 2026
Megan Smyth
77-yard Banana Slug assist; 82 yards for Team USA in 2026
Megan Smyth is a Dallas ultrarunner whose 77-yard assist at the 2026 Banana Slug Backyard Ultra earned her a place on Team USA.
United StatesDallas, Texas, USAW40–44
World Team Championship · 82 yardsBackyard Ultra World Team Championship 2026 · Stopped
82 yards completed before stopping
Completed 82 yards, then started yard 83 but did not finish it. The United States’s national race is over: the team finished on 1120 yards, 1st in the standings at this point.
Final results after yard 124 (16:07 UTC, 22 October), matching the organizer's official leaderboard. Organizer results ↗ Championship guide →
The record so far
Megan Smyth is an ultrarunner from Dallas, Texas. At the 2026 Banana Slug Backyard Ultra in Champoeg State Park, Oregon, she completed 77 loops, or 320.83 miles, and was the assist for winner Scott Martin, who finished a 78th loop. The organizer noted that only two women, Sarah Perry and Megan Eckert, had ever gone farther in a backyard ultra at the time.
Before that breakthrough, her backyard results came at Backyard Ultra – Summit Trail Racing in Marble Falls, Texas. She was the top woman there with 39 yards in 2023, won the race outright with 42 yards in 2024 and placed fourth with 62 yards in 2025. Her longer record on UltraSignup goes back to 2011 and includes a win at the 2022 Brazos Bend 50 Mile in 7:37:16 and 212.710 km at The Raven 24 Hour in 2025, where she placed fifth overall.
Smyth’s 77-yard Banana Slug assist placed her seventh on the pre-race Team USA selection list. At the championship she raised her best to 82 yards, approximately 549.9 km, as Team USA topped the team standings with 1,120 yards.
Defining performances
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Summit Trail Racing backyard winner
Won Backyard Ultra – Summit Trail Racing in Marble Falls, Texas, outright with 42 yards, ahead of runner-up Rachel Moore. She was 40 at the time.
Team USA selection
Selected for the 2026 World Team Championship from Big’s at-large list, ranked seventh among US runners on her 77-yard Banana Slug result.
Brazos Bend 50 Mile winner
Won the Brazos Bend 50 Mile in Needville, Texas, outright in 7:37:16.
Performance history
Selected results, not a complete race history. Rankings and record descriptions reflect the cited sources at their review dates. Distances may use different rounding conventions.
| Date | Event | Performance | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backyard Ultra World Team Championship 2026Backyard ultra | 82 yards · approximately 549.9 km | Personal best · Team USA | View ↗ | |
| Six-O Trail Run50 km trail | 6:07:45 | 7th overall · 2nd woman | View ↗ | |
| Blazin’ Summer Sufferfest54 km trail | 6:17:15 | 6th overall · 2nd woman | View ↗ | |
| Banana Slug Backyard UltraBackyard ultraScott Martin won with 78 loops. | 77 yards · approximately 516.3 km | Assist · 2nd overall | View ↗ | |
| Backyard Ultra – Summit Trail RacingBackyard ultra | 62 yards · approximately 415.7 km | 4th overall · 2nd woman | View ↗ | |
| The Raven 24 Hour24-hour | 212.710 km | 5th overall · 3rd woman | View ↗ | |
| Backyard Ultra – Summit Trail RacingBackyard ultra | 42 yards · approximately 281.6 km | Winner | View ↗ | |
| Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance Runs100-mile trail | 31:37:51 | 54th overall · 11th woman | View ↗ | |
| Backyard Ultra – Summit Trail RacingBackyard ultra | 39 yards · approximately 261.5 km | 4th overall · 1st woman | View ↗ | |
| Brazos Bend 5050-mile trail | 7:37:16 | Winner | View ↗ |
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