Most Insane World Record of 2023 || Big's Backyard Ultra (4 Days Of Death)

[@1519Spring]

The winner, vegan ultrarunner Harvey Lewis, is a school teacher in Ohio who famously run commutes to and from work. After finishing the 450 miles on Tuesday he traveled home to Ohio on Wednesday and then the 47yo ran (run commuted) to school like normal on Thursday. Legend.

[@philipeick-vocalmusic]

Vegan power!

[@DavidGoggins-ne1xo]

​@@philipeick-vocalmusiche would've ran 100 miles more if he decided to eat meat on that day

[@Rareos]

Well he did have a rest day so

[@joe1071]

Yeah, and the commute is no short distance, like 15 miles one way or something like that. And he runs it with a big backpacking pack with his gear for work and food. To rinse and repeat that everyday is just incredible

[@james5553]

Go Harvey ! I am a fellow teacher and cycled over 200miles a week commuting and racing for a decade before I got a chronic illness. I just recovered from the illness and accompanying addiction to pain meds after an eight year battle and am back at it. Harvey is a big inspiration - I had given up all hope of even cycling again, let alone racing, but to see him crush this at 47 gives me so much hope. Legend indeed!

[@JeffWurst]

The race is over as soon as he completes one lap beyond 2nd place. He's not allowed to continue. Thus, we know Ihor Verys reached his limit at 107, but we have no idea how much farther Harvey could've gone. I love how the results board on Ultra Signups lists everyone but Harvey as a DNF--Cruel.

[@florentraynaud6922]

This deserved to be on the main channel. Amazing race !

[@james5553]

crazy to follow live; every morning I woke up and saw it was still going!

[@adamturner6856]

Harvey is an absolute legend and all-round great guy. Had the pleasure of being on his crew when he came over to Australia for our National championships where he ran a then PB of 90 yards before he broke the world record set at the same event by Phil Gore (102 yards)

[@jameskerr1802]

This was a unique event in it was the best of the best running. One thing key about a backyard ultra is you can only go as far as the assist (2nd last one to bow out) can go, so if you don't have a strong field then you may not be able to push to your limits.

[@jason561120]

True, because at the crazy distances these guys are capable of, it would be almost impossible for a person to motivate themselves to keep going after they have one.

[@Kelly_Ben]

I saw some backyard races with limited fields or severe weather that only got up to 40 ish miles!

[@SuperFuzzyDunlop]

I can't wait to enter all this crazy shit when I hit my midlife crisis!

[@KoosBustert]

This hurts lol

[@Kelly_Ben]

You laugh… I started ultras when I hit 40 and got tired of competing with my faster younger self. Wish I’d swapped 5ks for 50ks/miles DECADES ago, so much more fun! 😂

[@AkbarZeb-p6f]

Do this shit now when you're young & crazy.

[@itsbotirlll]

I’ve met Gary personally! He lives in the same town I do, and he hosts races around where I live all the time. Pretty cool guy

[@1519Spring]

Gary = Gary Cantrell = Lazarus Lake

[@CSalisbury]

This is a really tough form of ultra - the constant stop-and-start means you're always either getting cold or warming up. Not to mention, it's a killer mentally to get yourself moving again. Massive kudos

[@LesserAndrew]

For sure. If you're running a 200 mile traditional ultra, you can have a bad hour and make up for it. And there are stretches where you find yourself in the flow and suddenly find yourself 10 miles down the trail without thinking about it. Not so at a backyard. Having a good time? Too bad, you need to stop and wait for the next hour. Need an extra five minutes to retape your feet? Too bad, you need to be in the starting corral on the hour. It's brutal. Honestly, my only issue is that it doesn't scale. You can't fit thousands of people in the starting gate. I wish I could try a backyard just to see if I could set a PB for distance, but there's no way I'd finish anywhere near the top, so it's not worth me trying to enter one.

[@fd318]

⁠@@LesserAndrew It might be worth considering how far your mind can push you, even if you don’t win. I find it fascinating, and I am currently working on that with my next goal being to complete a 100-mile race in under 24 hours, in tropical conditions (98-100°F, 80-95% humidity) and with 14,000 feet of elevation gain. I don’t know if I’ll succeed, but I’m committed to giving it my all. Even if I don’t reach my target, I’ll come away with a better understanding of what my mind and body are capable of. Just my 2-cent worth. This revision maintains your original message while enhancing readability. It also balances personal drive with the idea of self-exploration, which may resonate well with someone hesitant to try something challenging.

[@Ougagagoubou]

Hope to see more ultra marathon coverage!

[@robertfurman9751]

Imagine running more than 700km and still being placed 2nd

[@philmillman]

not even 2nd, you get a DNF! lol

[@janeyloubylou]

DNF 😅

[@raxxmoriti]

there can be only one! Duncan Mcleod🤣

[@TerjeMathisen]

Even though everyone else is listed as DNF, Ihor Verys is in fact credited with the "assist", since you cannot run more than one loop more than the assister.

[@JaySizz]

Cool to see this on your channel. I will just mention... since you stated that Big's Backyard is unlike any other race in the world... there are currently more than 400 Backyard Ultras around the world that have sprung up since Laz originated the concept.

[@AnnaMeredith-e1m]

I like that everyone gets a DNF except 1 runner

[@spencergambrell7819]

imagine putting this on strava. Just every hour you post a 4 mile run. People would see the first few and be like "ok". Then they'd see them keep coming and be like "what?" Then "Holy cow"

[@Kelly_Ben]

When you’re as slow as I am, it’s just one long race with a few minutes at the aid station every 4 miles. 😂

[@robjcurran]

Irish runner Keith Russell managed 74 yards (nearly 500), then travelled back to Ireland, landing home on Saturday morning, and ran the Dublin Marathon Sunday morning (yes, one day later), in a personal best time of sub 3 hours… absolutely nuts!!!!

[@frankcanzanella6753]

In 1996 I ran the NYC Marathon in around 3:52 minutes. I then walked across town to get to my health club to shower . Then I went to my NYC taxi and went to work picking up passengers. I was wearing my finishing medal around my neck. I met during the night a group of people , one of which had also run the marathon. He said he was also an ultra marathoner. That the second time he attempted a 100 mile race they had to pull him off the desert. Maybe he had attempted the Death Valley ultra 135 mile race.

[@spdun2287]

you should make another video going into the history of Phil Gore (old record holder)

[@james5553]

was that the race in australia where the guy from new Zeeland's lungs gave up, but he pushed just so the other guy could beat the record. Absolutely epic shit !

[@ginoskotheon3]

Ihor Verys with the amazing assist!

[@Nashvillain10SE]

First place loser, as they say.

[@Nashvillain10SE]

I said "as they say"

[@bobdavidson756]

Well, he won the Barkley's Marathons, so 2nd in the Big Dog & winner of the Barkley's in the same year - unbelievable

[@bev9708]

Not to diminish Harvey's phenomenal accomplishment, I still find it kinda sad that runner up Ihor Verysll is rarely if ever mentioned. I feel that all backyard ultra records should be shown WITH the second place runner who effectively "assists" the winner for all but one loop ... Ihor ran 107 loops with Harvey after all = 446miles!!!!

[@ps3udologue]

Well, they are shown on wikipedia so the assists are official. Even Laz says that assists are important so they're definitely on record.

[@MakoTheFrog]

Anyone interested in this please go watch "BREAKING POINT | A DEAD COW GULLY DOCUMENTARY" here on youtube, it's one of the best sport documentaries i've ever seen and I'm not even a fan of running, theres a part at the end where a man called Sam Harvey is about the break the world record, he is wrecked, sleep deprived, starving, has pneumonia and probably a million other things wrong and he is slumped in a chair waiting for the next loop to start, his mother stroking his face and begging him not to put his health at anymore risk and he just keeps telling her "it's okay". He has just ran 420 MILES! and STILL has the determination to push on. It's one of the most inspiring things i have ever seen. It had me in tears.

[@charlottehardy822]

Incredible

[@cliffclermont]

I love watching the Backyard races.....truly nutty

[@kwd-2023]

I would suffer more from the sleep deprivation than the running exhaustion.

[@benwatts6361]

Ihor just finished Barkley too. What a beast.

[@PeterReefman]

I can't do this format. I've run a few 100km races, have sleep-ran during 3-day "sleepmonster" adventure races, completed the Hawaiian Ironman. and once did 200k within 24 hours, but this... the constant stopping and cooling down then getting up again, over and over... I've never been able to get more than about 12 loops.... But I'm keen to try again. Unfinished business. But still.... 108 laps. My God - that's off the charts. Never in my wildest.

[@InfinityCuberRS3M]

dude i can't even imagine that

[@khumokwezimashapa2245]

Bro was inspired to make races like his trips from home to school and back

[@martinst8764]

That's amazing - and amuzing too, cos he dont look like a tough guy at all. Respect.

[@thechosenone82517]

much more impressive then a 2:15h marathon! much more!

[@deanakalova3063]

I'm having a little trouble talking myself into walking into the kitchen for an ice tea 😁

[@brianmessemer2973]

Please cover more ultra stuff! 💯

[@kimjongunmoresubsthant-ser2812]

That’s why Leon edwards has the most aesthetic physique

[@gabepattacini204]

Where did this come from😭

[@jaredbowen3527]

@@gabepattacini204 Mario Rios

[@andrearatkovic4048]

😂🤣☠️💀

[@softpool1286]

"just imagine running 450 miles in 4 1/2 days" uhhhh, nah im alright

[@benjamin.kelley]

My man Harvey is wearing Newton Running shoes, my go to running shoes!

[@judsdragon]

i cant even imagine driving that far in 4 days never mind running it jeezus

[@kathleenanderson4008]

I want to know what shoes they are wearing!

[@stensballe3683]

4 and a half days. bro got some demons to fight in his mind ❤️💀🔥

[@tritondriver1]

He still looks ready to go

[@IamDannyM]

And Harvey was part of the last 3 runners, then down to the last 2 and then 1, who got the previous world record

[@drumtoe]

Ode to Laz race in a Michigan did this a few years ago

[@C-R-A-C-K-E-R]

3 belgian runners are on lap 106 right now, I've heard rumors that they all plan to quit together after 109.

[@vakikimini7139]

Rumors were correct

[@C-R-A-C-K-E-R]

This record is about to be broken

[@joseph_thacker]

how much did he sleep? doesnt anyone know?

[@albertoduqe]

Explanation is wrong: you do not finish before the hour and then rest for an hour. No my friend. Every hour you must complete the loop and start the next one. Just rest the time spared from the hour (10 minutes if it takes you 50 to finish).

[@Eric-en9hk]

I thought the explanation you gave is the same one given in the video. At least that's how I understood it.

[@Southerncyclist]

Crazy

[@drdavidlieb1]

I am surprised Courtney Dauwalter has not done this race. She beat the males in 250.mile races by hours!

[@1519Spring]

Courtney has done this race. She was 2nd in 2018 and won in 2019 (68 loops aka yards).

[@barnumcastillo2789]

724.2 km ... WTF

[@codysadler9718]

TRP overuses the word "INSANE" lol

[@grandmastermario3695]

And hes 47 years old legend

[@Boppo101]

1:41 - I’m confused by the 24hr = 100 miles calculation … if its 4.167 miles every second hour, isn’t that 50 miles (12 x 4.167) per 24hr period? Still incredible!

[@TerjeMathisen]

Check again, it is in fact 4+1/6 mile every hour.

[@Boppo101]

@@TerjeMathisen - no, its one hour for 4.167 miles, then an hour’s rest before starting again on the next hour … and so on (see 0:58 to 1:24).

[@TerjeMathisen]

Check the original thumbnail: 450 miles in 4.5 days looks a lot like 100 miles/day, right? Laz came up with the concept due to all the 100 mile Ultras that have a 24-hour cutoff: This was a Covid-compatible way for a small group to have their own 100 mile Ultra without having to travel or meet up with a lot of other people. Laz being Laz he also didn't put any actual limit on the total time/length, just that the winner has to stop after running one extra loop when the assister gives up.

[@Boppo101]

@@TerjeMathisen - cheers, its poorly worded in the video, saying that there’s one hour to complete a loop then after the one hour mark competitors can do as they please before starting again on the following hour mark.

[@bobdavidson756]

@@Boppo101 Agreed - it should say you have 1 hour to complete a loop, and then a new loop starts on the next hour, and so on. If you finish any one particular loop in less than an hour, then whatever time remains until the next hour starts, yes, you can rest/eat/etc.

[@elidenmarkcollins1897]

That’s why Leon edwards has the most astetic physique

[@andrearatkovic4048]

☠️💀

[@peasthree546]

I will beat this one day watch putting it into words

[@TheMediaCA]

Screenshotted. Don’t disappoint

[@sayanbhowmik4535]

Still he isnt paid much 🙂💔💔. And only a very few peoples know him🙂💔💔

[@bailey9838]

Why

[@Nashvillain10SE]

Excuse me, ma'am, this is a Total Running Productions channel.

[@keshmo12]

Good old question of why anyone does anything. Just because. Like why would you do a 400m race on a track? You're racing to a spot where you already are.