From August 15th 2021 there will be no more Golden ticket races to give you direct access to the Bigs Backyard Individual World Championships in October. 

There are now too many Backyard races to continue with that system, from 2021 there will only be a Bigs Backyard Individual World Championship race every 2 years. Every other year there will be a National Team Championships Event in October. The winners of these championships will win the Golden coin to go to Bigs the following year. 

This year on October 16th is Bigs Individual World Championships in Tennesse and 2022 will be the first National Championships worldwide event. 

The UK National event will be held in October 2022 on the same record breaking course as the SBYU. 

See the Backyard Ultra website for more info on the format and event requirements.

Sound complicated?

Its fairly simple once you understand it, races between August 15th 2021 and August 14th 2022 will now be split into Bronze and Silver events. 

Bronze events are affiliated events in each country and the winners of those events qualify for entry into the silver events. 

Specific Bronze races feed into specific Silver races based on calendar dates of the Silver races and bronze races to allow for adequate rest between events. 

Silver events are established premier events and the winners of these get automatic selection to the National Team event.

*Note winners of race in N. Ireland can choose to join the UK or Irish Team.

The remainder of the team of 15 (plus 3 reserves) is selected from the At-Large list of highest numbers of yards completed in any affilated race. The table Below will be updated as race directors email in results to us.

Team members for the UK team must be UK citizens and be able to prove that if required. Even if you are a longtime resident of the UK if you are not a UK citizen you can not run for the UK team and should approach your national team. 

The events that are Bronze and Silver ticket events next year are listed in the table below, the links take you to the entry for that event on the Backyard Ultra website.

Race directors are encouraged to keep that official site info up to date.  

1. Runners must obey the rules of the specific event they are eentered into
2. Runners must be UK citizens to qualify for the UK team. They must be a N. Irish, Scottish, English or Welsh national or a British national in an overseas territory (Such as the Falklands) and eligible to hold a british passport.
3. Runners winning a bronze race will automatically be allocated a space in the corresponding Silver race. 
4. Runners will still be required to pay the entry fee for the Silver race, this may be donated by the Bronze race as part of a winninng prize. 
5. Runners winning a Silver race will be entered onto the UK team regardless of number of yards completed. Even if the number of yards is less than the number of yards at the top of the At-Large list. 
6. If a runner can not attend a Silver race for any reason they can not transfer the entry to any other person under any circumstances. 
7. If A runner can not attend the National Team Championships then the space goes to the highest number of yards from the At-Large List.
8. Runners are still required to pay an entry fee for the Team Championships of £250 to offset the set up and livestreaming costs as well as team medals and trophies. This can be covered by the Silver event they win as a prize. 
9. Runners selected from the At-Large List will be required to pay this entry fee also.
10. 3 reserve runners will be invited off the At-Large list to cover short notice drop outs or no shows. They will be allowed to run as an individual in the event but will not count towards any team prizes or competition. 
11. Winners of Silver event in events in N. Ireland that allow entrants from the whole of Ireland can chose to enter the UK team event or Irish team event, If they choose the Irish team event then that place goes to the At-Large list.
12. The decision of the UK team manager (Lindley Chambers) is final.

1. Organisers are to keep their race info up to date on the Backyard website pages and inform the UK Team Manager of any changes. The links on the spreadsheet will link to the Backyard site event pages.
2. Organisers events must follow the Backyard format and rules as stated on the Backyard website. Failure to do this can result in the race becoming ineligible.
3. Organisers must link to or share these rules on their own event pages to ensure all runners undersand the rules.
4. Organisers must email full results to admin@challenge-running within 14 days of the event so we can update the spreadsheet with the correct data on team selection and update the At-Large list
5. Organisers of Bronze races can choose to pay for the entry to the corresponding Silver races as part of a winning prize but must state this on their website.
6. Organisers of Silver races can choose to pay for the entry to the Team Championships as part of the winning prize but must state this on the website.
7. Organisers can not substitute or replace winners of races or allocate Silver or Team race place to anyone other than the winner of the event under any circumstances.
8. Organisers are responsible for ensuring nationality is asked at time of entry or before race day to ensure it's clear who is eligible for UK team places. 
9. Organisers can ask runners to confirm national identity via presentation of passport, birth certificate or other document that confirms nationality. This info can only be used for this purpose. 
10. When requested organisers must share contact details of winners to the UK Team Manager making sure they first have permission to do this under GDPR.
11. All the decisions of the RD's of individual races are final.
12. UK Team selection and National Championships places wil be selected by Challenge Running (Lindley Chambers - UK Team Manager) based on the detail on the Selection Spreadsheet to ensure transparency and fairness in accordance with these rules. 

For any questions on these rules please email admin@challenge-running.co.uk

Please see the live embedded spreadsheet above for up to date team selection and a live At-Large list.

Lindley Chambers