Only the Next Lap - New Zealand at Big's Backyard Ultra World Championships

Big's Backyard Ultra is the World Championship of backyard ultrarunning, in which competitors must run a 4.167 mile / 6.7 kilometre loop every hour on the hour until only one runner remains. The format allows all genders to compete on an equal basis. The 2019 World Champion, Maggie Guterl covered 250 miles / 400 kilometres in 60 hours.
Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic Big's Backyard Ultra 2020 was a held symultaneously across 21 countries, coordinated through a single online meeting. Each country would hold a separate backyard event with a maximum of 15 runners; the aggregate number of laps or "yards" counting for the world team championship.
Shaun "Runningbeast" Collins, Dr. Katie Wright, Fiona Hayvice and Andrew McDowall would compete as part of the New Zealand team. They are their team mates are enormously experienced ultra-endurance athletes, but who would be the last runner standing?

[@janswart2705]

Hats off to each and every one of you. It's amazing that all starters were still in it after 100 km. The film is beautifully shot and put together. Well done, and thank you very much.

[@Runderestimated]

What a great documentary!!! I find trail / Ultra's SO inspiring but there is no chance you'll see me doing something like this haha!! Well done everyone!

[@WestieRunner]

Thank you so much for your kind words! I've run a few ultras but this is just right out there. I've always sworn blind I wouldn't run a backyard ultra, but having experienced it firsthand I can see why people run them. Maybe 2022 for me? (Already got plans for 2021.)

[@buckeyejen1076]

It was really great to see all of these athletes from around the globe, who wouldn't have been able to travel to Big's Backyard, compete. It would have been priceless to see them go head-to-head at the same venue though.

[@WestieRunner]

Thanks Jennifer, glad that you enjoyed the film. It was great to see the global format, but I agree that it would be amazing to see the best of them all duke it out in person in Tennessee.

[@bartvanbokhoven7929]

What I noticed in this docu and in other docu's regarding ultra running is that it is so import to have other people who you trust so you "just have to run" and they take care of everything else

[@edscottdotblog]

Love this! I took part in Relaps 2019; have since moved back to the UK. The shots of the race and of Auckland in the sunshine bring it all flooding back.

[@WestieRunner]

Thanks Ed. Glad to hear you liked it. Hope that all is well back in the UK.

[@shaunnicholson5389]

EPIC Footage and so professionally put together. Take a massive bow Gareth! You captured the 'essence' so well and the interviews and stunning Auckland vista behind Andrew's interview - a winning touch! Thanks so much for all your time and effort put in to this. AMAZING! To all the runners, support crew, family members...(even dogs that came along)...well done!

[@WestieRunner]

Thank you so much Shaun. All of the runners did so much for the vid in the interviews, suggestions when they saw early drafts etc... but Andrew was a great interview subject, had some great ideas and did an amazing job on the sound work. There are so may people who need to be thanked for this. I hope you didn't mind me filming you while you were asleep in Shaun C's chair ;-)

[@shaunnicholson5389]

@@WestieRunner Haha, I loved that chair so much Santa bought me one for Christmas!!!!

[@AjMarchantRunning]

Signed up for my first Backyard here in the UK! Can’t wait to push my body right to the limits 💪🏽

[@WestieRunner]

Excellent work! I've always said that I'd never go near a backyard ultra, but having seen one firsthand I've since become curious about what it would be like to go beyond 24 hours (my longest run to date.) Good luck!

[@Scott-fi6ml]

Adam Keen what a runner very inspiring

[@dan.prosser]

I'm about to embark on my first one of these April 3-4 'Dead Cow Gully' near Nanango, QLD. You've done a stunning job with this video mate, I'm hoping to make one of my own but you've gone above and beyond. Thanks for the great watch.

[@WestieRunner]

Thanks Daniel, really appreciate the kind words. Good luck in your run! I've not run anything over in Aussie yet, but would like to get over to UTA or Blackall at some point in time.

[@chunkyd333]

This is Daniel Bowie. This movie is sweet as! Well done team New Zealand. It is so great to be able to see the races from the actual locations they took place. Thank you for sharing your gritty teams performances. Well shot and edited.

[@WestieRunner]

Thanks Daniel, really appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment. It was an amazing event to experience firsthand.

[@chunkyd333]

@@WestieRunner As the Producer for the world event coordinating the Zoom Broadcast and commentating it was great to work with Team New Zealand. And seeing the runners challenges onsite is extremely gratifying. Thank you for sharing your passion for filming and running with others.

[@WestieRunner]

@@chunkyd333 Ah please accept my apologies, I hadn't made the connection as I didn't have anything to do with the Zoom broadcast! The technology aspect of it was brilliant. There were lots of people who would wander over and watch the screens once the runners had gone out on a loop. Aside from the need for the occasional reset (which seemed very well coordinated) everything seemed to go remarkably smoothly.

[@chunkyd333]

@@WestieRunner no need to apologize at all. I'm the arrogant one thinking my name meant anything lol. Emma McDowall, and Shaun Collins were a absolute pleasure to work with, New Zealand runners are lucky to have people like them working so hard to host great running events. Good luck on your future film projects.

[@WestieRunner]

@@chunkyd333 All good! Is that your voice we can hear from the Zoom meeting talking to Emma at the start?

[@TsinelasniRas]

💜💜💜 Superb! I cannot say anything.. just to amaze all the runners and the Organizers and the supporting team. 💪💪💪💜💜💜

[@WestieRunner]

Thank you! The folks doing the organising really know what they are doing, and the runners are all great gals 'n' guys doing what they love.

[@philipeick-vocalmusic]

Great one! Loved the outdo and thanks for including the international results!

[@JordanBryantNZ]

20 mins in and enjoying this! Nice balance between footage and interviews

[@WestieRunner]

Thank you Jordan, really glad to hear that you're enjoying it.

[@FindYourFeetFilms]

Awesome work Gareth!! Loved it!

[@WestieRunner]

High praise coming from you Aaron! Hopefully see you for a bit on Saturday.

[@poshtim1362]

Excellent film. I followed this online the whole time I was awake, really inspiring, if mad, so it was great to see a behind the scenes view and the athletes. Terminator music appropriate, I was reminded of that at the time - "he absolutely will not stop, ever"! Bravo.

[@WestieRunner]

Great to hear you enjoyed it Tim!

[@bloodyhell451]

Awesome ! Totally bonkers, beautifully captured.

[@WestieRunner]

Thanks bro. It has been a bit of a labour of love over the past 10 weeks to get this from concept to final film. I put in probably 100 hours in total (!) but feel like I could easily have put in the same amount again.

[@turkeysandwich001]

My god, I can see how much you put into this experience. It was beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing this.

[@WestieRunner]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@hugoenriquehernandezruiz7579]

Fantastic 🎉

[@mattg748500]

Amazing video! Thank you so much for putting it together.. So professional, easy to watch and a great story.. Thank you🖤

[@WestieRunner]

Really glad you enjoyed it! I had a great time hanging out in the forest with the cool kids and watching them run themselves silly!

[@Redbeardedrunner]

Awesome documentary Gareth, loved it!

[@WestieRunner]

Thanks Bevan, really pleased that you enjoyed it.

[@dangraham3486]

Great video!

[@WestieRunner]

Thanks Dan, really appreciate the feedback.

[@8valencia]

Awesome video Gareth!

[@WestieRunner]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@OutdoorsmanDave]

Well constructed story, I sadly gave running away in order to invest the 30hrs a week into KZbin creation instead - I miss it.

[@carlosvillanueva2327]

They do it at different altitudes?

[@scottwall8419]

How many loops did the guy who hirt his leg do after he was hurt?