The Bermuda Backyard Ultra team are just a few days away from competing in the 2024 World Team Championships.

The top 15 athletes from the Bermuda Backyard Ultra in 2022 and 2023, sponsored by Monument Re, have qualified to compete for Bermuda against runners from 64 other nations, all of whom are competing in their home countries.

The Bermuda event starts at 9am on Saturday, October 19, at Southside, St Davids, with a start and finish corral near Sunjammers.

The World Team Championship sticks to the usual Backyard format in which runners complete a 4.167 mile (6,706 metres) loop every hour on the hour. All runners start together for each lap and continue until they fail to complete a Yard in the allotted hour or voluntarily withdraw.

Teams will be ranked based on the total number of aggregate yards completed by all team members. The distance and duration of the event is therefore limited only by the runners themselves, with the event continuing day(s) and night(s) until only one person remains.

In addition to the team competition, the “last Bermuda competitor standing”, and completing a loop after all other runners have withdrawn, will be the 2024 Bermuda National Backyard Champion. If they complete at least 24 loops they will also qualify for next year’s Backyard Individual World Championships.

The Bermuda team features 2022 and 2023 Bermuda Backyard champions Fabri Alvera and Jason Williams, who have both previously run beyond 24 loops or 100 miles. They are joined by some talented local ultra runners, including Louise Wells, who recently competed in the Ironman World Championship triathlon.

The United States are the reigning Backyard World Team champions with their team completing 860 loops, while the current individual Backyard world record is held by Harvey Lewis, of the US, who completed 108 loops or 450 miles, running for nearly four and a half straight days.

The Bermuda team is managed by Anne Kermode, who is anticipating a fantastic event.

“Our athletes are excited to be representing Bermuda in our first opportunity to compete against some of ultra running’s legends, and I am sure they will give their best and do Bermuda proud,” Kermode said.

Andy McComb has been named race co-ordinator and is looking forward to the chance to compare Bermuda’s lung-bursting efforts with the rest of the world.

“Thanks to the support of Monument Re, Bermuda will be competing along with Backyard powerhouses USA, Belgium and the UK,” McComb said.

“While we are not expecting to upset those countries in our first attempt, we believe Bermuda has a great opportunity to punch above its weight against some countries much larger and more experienced in the backyard race format and be competitive in the small country category.”

Race organisers are looking for Bermuda to come out and support the team as well as volunteer to assist with race marshalling. Those willing to volunteer can sign up here.