Following the growing popularity of the Backyard Ultra – where participants run 6.7 kilometers every hour until only one runner remains – the first-ever Backyard Ultra Triathlon took place over the past few days. Competitors tackled a Sprint Distance triathlon (500 meters swimming, 20 kilometers biking, and 5 kilometers running) every two hours. Victory went to German athletes Jess Ittner and Hanna Schramm, who both completed a staggering 33 loops over 66 hours, accumulating 16.5 kilometers of swimming, 660 kilometers of biking, and 165 kilometers of running. Both women finished far ahead of the third-placed athlete and top male finisher, Nicolas Kiesel, who completed 21 loops.
While the Backyard Ultra concept has surged in popularity worldwide, this marked the debut of the Backyard Ultra Triathlon format. Held in Zellingen, Germany, the grueling event saw 41 athletes take on the test of endurance, with only eight managing to reach 20 loops or more. Ittner and Schramm proved completely dominant, pushing through 33 loops to remain active for nearly three full days.