A new champion will be crowned this weekend in the fifth annual Devil’s Racetrack Backyard Ultra at Wade Mountain Nature Preserve.
The field of 21 runners, as of Thursday morning, will begin Saturday morning at the preserve in north Huntsville. Only a few in the field are repeat participants. It does not include any prior champions. It’s the smallest field since the inaugural event in 2022 when 17 toed the line.
Registration is still open and will be until just before the 7 a.m. start Saturday.
The 1,010-acre preserve is part of the Land Trust of North Alabama. Along with being home to this weekend’s backyard event, it also is home to the RunningLane Wade Mountain Marathon, half and 10K on Oct. 19.
Last Runner Standing
Runners will begin Saturday morning in the Spragins Hollow trailhead parking lot. A quarter-mile out-and-back on the road helps separate the field before they hit the trails. The basic rules are simple: finish the 4.167-mile loop within the hour and be in the starting corral before the bell to begin the next loop. The trails are fairly technical; atop Wade Mountain is the Devil’s Racetrack loop offering views of Huntsville to the south.
The final runner, unless everyone quits, must complete the 4.167-mile yard within the hour timeframe to win. Officially, everyone else is a DNF. If things progress after sunset, runners will stay on the road at night for safety, and return to the trail at sunrise Sunday morning, if necessary.
The event is based on the format of Gary Cantrell’s backyard ultras, which include the Little Dog’s Backyard Ultra and Big’s Backyard Ultra. Both are held in October in Tennessee, the latter attracting top endurance athletes from dozens of countries around the world.
Hayden Maples of Cullman won the inaugural Devil’s Racetrack race in 2022 despite unseasonable spring heat and a nagging injury. Michael Wall and Kyle Wagner, both of Huntsville, battled in the next two events, going 24 hours before submitting. Zach Musgrave of South Dakota took the win in April with a record 25 yards.
This year’s field includes runners from New York, south Florida, Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama. Five women are registered, including Christy Scott of Huntsville. She completed six yards in the inaugural event.
Runners begin another yard at the spring Devil’s Racetrack Backyard Ultra. (Photo: Melissa Fritz)
