Gold Coast Backyard Ultra 2026

Training for this was unconventional.

I went into this prepared, but also unprepared.
Prepared mentally, emotionally, and spiritually — but not fully prepared in the way I wanted physically.

When I prepare for a race or anything that means a lot to me, I focus on four things:
mental preparation, emotional preparation, spiritual preparation, and physical preparation.

Physically I knew I could do it.
I could draw from years of work and experience.
But I also knew I didn't have the preparation block I wanted, coming back from plantar fasciitis that had kept me out since November 2025.

Still, I believed I could do it and give my best.
At the end of the day, my goal in any race is simple — give my best.

Backyard Ultras have taught me something powerful:
we create our own limits.
My goal for this race was to find my limit.

The strategy was the same approach I used at King of the Hill 2025 — prioritise sleep from start to finish.
I was very fortunate to have an amazing crew supporting me and helping me execute this plan.

Lap 1 I went out quick to see how efficient I could be.
Lap 2 I slowed it down to see how controlled and efficient I could be.
Lap 3 I started learning the course and building my rhythm.

Originally the plan was 45-minute laps.
But after running a 40-minute lap comfortably, I realised this might be the right pace.
From lap 3 onwards it became consistent — 38 to 40 minute laps.

Everything was going well until nutrition became a problem.
The plan was simple: rice, noodles, electrolytes, and carb drink — fuel I had practiced in training.
But my stomach completely shut down.
Bloated. Full. Couldn't take in solids. Couldn't take in carb drinks. Everything made me feel sick.

So we moved to Plan B — soft drink.
From lap 5 onwards my main fuel became Mountain Dew, Fanta, Coca-Cola, Sprite and whatever worked.
And it worked.

Lap by lap the system built itself.
38-minute laps became automatic.
10 to 15 minutes of sleep every lap kept my mind under control.

Plantar fasciitis was always in the back of my mind, but with the help of Darcy Dore from Run Clinic Brisbane and rotating shoes — especially the Autopilots — my foot held up with no issues.

Then came new obstacles.
First the ITB. Then the Achilles.
But the strategy stayed the same.
The obstacle is the way.

My crew made everything easier.
It truly takes a village to do something like this.

Every lap became the same:
in — sleep — wake — eat — maintenance — out — repeat
Simple. Easy. Boring. Effective.

24 hours passed and the only thing I noticed was night turning into day.
I remember saying to myself:
“Okay, it’s daytime now… let’s do it all over again.”

Second night came.
Mind and body still strong.
Laps kept rolling.

Lap 30 — fatigue started to kick in and caffeine finally came into play.
After delaying caffeine for 30 hours, I felt every bit of that caffeine and the goal of finding my limit became clearer.

But in a Backyard Ultra, your limit depends on someone else.
By lap 32 the field was getting smaller.
By lap 34 it was just me and Justin.

I was hoping he was ready to go far.
Hoping he was ready to find his limit too.
But he found it.

Running that final lap alone, I kept looking back hoping to see him coming.
Coming around the pavement and onto the grass, I realised I was the last man standing.

Even though I didn’t find my limit, I realised something more —
I still have so much more to give.

Congratulations Justin — what stood out the most was your fierce heart and your will to keep going.
Respect.