Race Story

The Backyard Ultra of Northern Utah is more than a race — it’s a test of patience, grit, and determination. Rooted in the backyard ultra format, runners will push themselves one loop at a time, chasing the limits of mind and body. Here you’ll find the story behind our event.

2025 - The Backyard Ultra of Northern Utah is established as the premier backyard ultra in Utah. After searching for the perfect course to hold a backyard ultra in the state of Utah, we remembered biking around Mantua Reservoir back in our college days at Utah State University. When we pulled up the Mantua Reservoir Trail on our phones, you can imagine our astonishment when the trail length displayed showed exactly 4.1 miles. The rest is history.