Runners strive to be the Last Buckeye Standing
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.

Trail endurance races, like this one in New Zealand, have grown more popular over recent years. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
An epic endurance test steps off this weekend at Alum Creek State Park with one simple but harrowing goal in mind: be the last one still running.
Pacing the news: This Saturday's Last Buckeye Standing differs greatly from traditional races and is not for the faint of heart.
How it works: Runners start at 7am and have an hour's time to complete a 4.167-mile trail loop.
- Once finished, they can rest … until a bell sounds at 8am and they must complete another loop.
- This continues on an hourly cycle until only one person finishes a loop within the hour.
The big picture: "Backyard Ultra" events like this have been gaining popularity since endurance race director Gary Cantrell held the first in Tennessee a decade ago.
- Ohio now has several, with the largest drawing 110 runners from across the Midwest to rural Scioto County each March.
- Sunday's race is the first of its kind in this region, with nearly 45 athletes set to participate, organizer Craig Thompson tells us.
What they're saying: "I compare it to being punched in the face — light punches," Cantrell once said.
- "After awhile you just don't want to get up for it any more."
State of play: Participants typically set up a campsite near the starting corral to recharge in between loops.
- Success requires intense planning and strategy as they balance trail speed with durability.
- The faster they run, the more time they have to fill up on nutrients, use the restroom and change into clean gear before the next bell.
Yes, but: Going too quickly can cause a runner to flame out after just a few hours.
- So they must pace themselves, just not too much.
The intrigue: This can go on for an absurd length of time.
- The 2023 winner in Scioto County finished 53 loops totaling 220.83 miles, more than two straight days of running.
- New Albany's Mike Rowe was close behind with 49 loops (204.16 miles) completed.
Of note: The ruthless nature of Backyard Ultras dictates there is only one winner.
- As is customary, Rowe and the rest of the field were classified as a DNF — "Did Not Finish."
Worthy of your time: Ultrarunner Courtney Dauwalter takes on the world's most sadistic endurance race, a feature story about the original (and most famous) Backyard Ultra.
