Red's Backyard Ultra is one of the biggest dates on the Australian backyard calendar. In 2026 it is Australia's host venue for the Backyard Ultra World Team Championships, the global event where each nation runs the same format simultaneously and results are pooled across countries. It takes place at Integral Energy Park in Kembla Grange, just outside Wollongong, on 1 August 2026.
The format is simple and merciless: a 6.71km loop every hour, on the hour, with anyone who fails to finish a loop in time eliminated. There is no fixed distance and no set finish; the race runs through the day, into the night and often deep into a second day, ending only when one runner completes a loop that no one else can. With a national team assembled, the winning total here is usually huge.
