04/01/2024
Below are the initial details for the The Guts To Try Ultra Run. Please review them and ask any questions you may have.
Welcome to the new Guts To Try Ultras! This event was born out of our two other events, the Bear Bait Ultras and the Destin Beach Ultras. We took the course from Bear Bait, the weekend of the Destin Ultras, and added a race that is sure to challenge even the most hardened runners.
Date: Feb 15th, 2025
Registration for all events will open on April 30th.
Events:
The Bear Bait 8 mile and 25K will run the classic Bear Bait Route. Following those races, the Backyard Ultra (Last Person Standing event) will start and will be ran on a loop that is 4 miles and 880ft until the final person quits. Please see the Backyard Rules below for the complete details of this event.
Location:
Adventures Unlimited
8974 Tomahawk Landing Rd, Milton, FL 32570
There are cabins and camping spots for runners and crew. The race discount code TBD will be active once race registration opens.
Early Entry Fees:
8M- $25
25K- $35
Backyard- $50 deposit + 'ultra food' to share. Your $50 deposit will be refunded in cash at packet pickup if you show up to the event and bring snacks to share. Since you are not paying for an entry fee, you are highly encouraged to fundraise or make a donation to the SOWF equal to the value of this event.
NO refunds will be given for any race after January 15th.
Credit Card and processing fees will not be refunded at any time.
We will not refund t-shirt or meal purchases at any time.
We will not ship you anything if you do not attend.
Fundraising:
Each runner is highly encouraged to raise funds for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. The Backyard event is especially conducive to fundraising as you can have friends and family pledge a dollar amount for each lap you complete.
All proceeds will benefit the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF), a highly rated non-profit organization ensuring complete post-secondary educational support and additional educational opportunities “cradle to career,” for eligible surviving children of fallen Special Operations Forces and children of all Medal of Honor recipients; and provides immediate financial assistance to severely wounded, ill, and injured Special Operations personnel — today and in the future.
Each runner will have a fundraising page automatically setup on ItsYourRace when you register. You will receive a confirmation email with how to customize it and share it with your friends/family. Runners are not required to fundraise, but it is highly encouraged. Every dollar brought in through fundraising goes directly to the SOWF.
Start Times:
25K & 8M- 6:30AM (10am cutoff time for both races. If you cannot complete the 25K in 3.5hrs, please run the 8M)
Backyard Ultra- 10AM
Backyard Rules
Course
-4 miles 880 feet in length through a variety of terrain. It will be ran in the same direction night and day.
Starting Corral
-Participants must be in the starting corral at the start bell. If not in the corral at this time you will be given a DNF.
Starts
-Each loop starts precisely 1 hour after the last (on the hour)
-Warning will be given 3, 2, and 1 minutes prior to start
-All competitors must start at the bell by leaving the corral (no late starts)
Loops
-Except for restrooms, competitors may not leave the course until each loop is completed
-No non-competitors on the course (including eliminated runners/pacers)
-No personal aid during a loop
-Each loop must be completed within an hour to be counted… including the final lap.
-No artificial aids (including trekking poles)
-Slower runners must allow passes.
Winner/Results
-The winner is the last person to complete a full loop
-All others are technically DNF
-Results of each runner, in terms of distance, covered will be given after the event.
-If no runner can complete one more loop than anyone else, there is no winner.
-This event is registered with Laz's Backyard Ultra organization. Details on qualifying for the World Championships can be found here.
Finish Time
-There is no finish time. The race will continue 24 hours a day, as long as needed until all but one runner quits.
Backyard Teams
Although the Backyard Ultra is a decidedly individual sport, we are also adding team scoring similar to the 24hr World Championships. Teams may consist of 3, 4, or 5 runners of any gender. Only the distances of the top 3 runners will count toward the final team miles. The team with the most miles at the end of the event will be declared the winning team. If you register for a military team, all the members must be current or former military of any branch or nation.
Aid
There will be one aid station, located in The Barn (start/finish) area. For the 8M and 25K this station will provide water and some light snacks. Once the Backyard starts, the only thing that will be provided is water plus any snacks runners brough to share. Each Backyard runner is encouraged to bring a crew to attend to their needs during the race. Runners must bring their own food, drink mix, and anything else required to run for several days. The Barn will have space where each runner can place a chair and their food/drink. Runners can also crew out of vehicles after finishing each lap as long as they can make it back to the start corral at The Barn for each start.
Finisher Awards
8M- Small Bear Bait finisher medallion. Overall Top 3 males and Females will also receive awards (no age groups).
25K- Large Bear Bait 25K Finisher medal. Overall Top 3 males and Females will also receive awards (no age groups).
Backyard- The individual winner of this event will receive an award worthy of their great efforts! There can be only one winner.
Post-Race
8M & 25K Runners can expect to receive a post-race meal.
Due to no entry fee and the various 'finish' times of the Backyard runners, no finish meals will be guaranteed.
"To you all from us all for having the guts to try." These were the words written on the cases of beer waiting for American special operations troops in Oman on Apr. 25, 1980. They were gifted to the U.S. service members by British civilians working at the airfield. The British didn't know for sure who the American troops were, but what they did know came from news reports, in Iran and the United States, that a group of Army Delta Force troops, United States Marines, and Air Force aircrews flew out of their base to an unknown destination and returned many hours later after the tragic accident at the desert landing site in Iran. By the time President Jimmy Carter gave Operation Eagle Claw (the Iranian Hostage Rescue Mission) the green light, hostages being held at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran had been held for 174 days. British airfield operators knew that not all the aircraft and helos had returned from the operation and thus left this simple note and gift. That phrase, “The Guts To Try”, has since found common use in the Special Operations community.
