Canadian backyard national champion
Won Canada’s race at the World Team Championship with 82 yards; Michael Rouleau was last to stop on 81.
Source-checked athlete record · Updated Oct 21, 2026
Michael Serani
Canada’s 2026 backyard national champion with 82 yards at Sicamous
Michael Serani is a Kelowna runner who won Canada’s race at the 2026 Backyard Ultra World Team Championship with 82 yards, double his previous best.
CanadaKelowna, British ColumbiaM35
National champion at the World Team Championship · 82 yardsBackyard Ultra World Team Championship 2026 · National champion
Won the national race with 82 yards
Completed yard 82 alone as the last runner standing for Canada. Canada’s national race is over: the team finished on 830 yards, 9th in the standings at this point.
From the organizer’s live results after yard 94 (09:49 UTC, 21 October). Live results ↗ Championship guide →
The record so far
Michael Serani is a Canadian runner from Kelowna, British Columbia. He has run marathons for about nine years and won his first one at the Apple Marathon in Kelowna on September 27, 2026, in 2:36:32, three weeks before the World Team Championship. His trail results include fourth place at the 2025 Freaky Creeky 50K and a win in the 2026 Slay the Dragon vertical climb at Silver Star Mountain.
His backyard record is short but unbeaten. He won all three editions of the Brokenagan Backyard Ultra in Vernon, B.C., with 25 yards in 2023, 22 in 2024 and 25 in 2025, and Yardlore lists him as that race’s yardmaster. In April 2026 he won the BC Backyard Ultra in Sicamous with 41 yards (274.946 km) after Jeremy Bombardier stopped on 40. It was a Silver Ticket race, and the win gave him one of Canada’s 15 places at the 2026 Backyard Ultra World Team Championship.
Canada’s team raced on the same Sicamous course from October 17. Serani won the national race with 82 yards (549.892 km), exactly double his previous best. Michael Rouleau started the 82nd yard with him but did not complete it and was credited with 81. CBC reported that running partner Barry Nakahara crewed him for the first two days, and the official feed shows his average yard at about 50 minutes, with the final, solo yard completed in 43:42.
Defining performances
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BC Backyard Ultra winner
Won the Silver Ticket race in Sicamous with 41 yards, earning his place on Team Canada.
Apple Marathon winner
Won his local marathon in Kelowna in 2:36:32, his first marathon victory.
Three Brokenagan Backyard Ultra wins
Won every edition of the Vernon race to date, with 25, 22 and 25 yards.
Performance history
| Date | Event | Performance | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backyard Ultra World Team Championship 2026 · CanadaBackyard ultraMichael Rouleau did not complete the 82nd yard and was credited with 81. Canada’s 15 runners raced on the BC Backyard Ultra course in Sicamous, B.C. | 82 yards · 549.892 km | Winner · national champion | View ↗ | |
| Apple MarathonMarathon | 2:36:32 | Winner | View ↗ | |
| BC Backyard UltraBackyard ultraJeremy Bombardier was the assist with 40 yards. The race was a Silver Ticket event. | 41 yards · 274.946 km | Winner | View ↗ | |
| Freaky Creeky50 km trail | 5:26:22 | 4th overall | View ↗ | |
| Brokenagan Backyard UltraBackyard ultraDylan Jones was the assist with 24 yards. | 25 yards · 167.650 km | Winner | View ↗ | |
| Slay the Dragon50 km trail | 6:27:49 | 18th overall | View ↗ | |
| Brokenagan Backyard UltraBackyard ultraTima Coad was the assist with 21 yards. | 22 yards · 147.532 km | Winner | View ↗ | |
| Brokenagan Backyard UltraBackyard ultraThe race’s first edition; Don Cundiff was the assist with 24 yards. | 25 yards · 167.650 km | Winner | View ↗ |
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