4000 Shaw Dr., Marble Falls TX
Saturday, May 29th, 2027
"So, the last shall be first, and the first last"
Our event takes place at Turkey Bend LCRA Recreation Area near Lago Vista and Marble Falls, Texas. The course traces a peninsula along the Colorado River, winding through open meadows, wildflower fields, and shaded Hill Country woodland. Expansive views. Rolling terrain. Wildflower invasions in spring. A landscape that earns every mile you put into it.
Join us for Austin's Backyard Marathon & Memorial Day Remembrance Run, a race weekend built around endurance, community, and remembrance. Whether you're chasing the Bronze Ticket, your first marathon, or running to honor someone, you'll find your distance and your reason at Turkey Bend.
Austin's Backyard Ultra is a premier, rugged challenge. It’s not just a race against the clock; it’s a race against the Texas Hill Country terrain. Not your average flat backyard. This is an officially sanctioned Backyard Ultra. One 4.2-mile loop. One hour to complete it. A new loop starts at the top of every hour. Miss the cutoff, you're out. Last runner remaining wins.
One unified course that all runners follow, through full sun, through dusk, through the long midnight hours, into Sunday's dawn if you make it that far.
The course is anchored by a central start/finish corral located near the park's main camping clusters. This is home base, where crews refuel runners and runners reset between yards. Where the race is won and lost not in the running, but in those few minutes between hours.
Earn every yard. Climb every hour. Austin's Backyard Ultra is a bucket-list event for runners who want to test their true power, not just their flat pacing.
The trail itself is a 4.2-mile out-and-back along the Turkey Bend peninsula with a tight finishing lollipop. Wildflower meadows, lakeside views, and Hill Country woodland in alternating sections. Reflective markers guide runners through the nighttime hours. The course rewards a steady, efficient pace and a calm mind. One more hour at a time.
A backyard ultra is won at the rest chair, not the starting line. Click here to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter, training plans, pacing strategy, and the mental playbook for the bell. Every Wednesday, straight to your inbox.
The Memorial Day Remembrance Run is a chance to cover ground with purpose. Run in honor of someone. Run, ruck, or walk in their memory. Run because you can, and they cannot. Run the same unified course as the Backyard Ultra athletes. Same trail. Same wildflower-lined Hill Country views. Half the chaos, all of the experience.
Four distances. One course. No clock pressure.
Marathon (26.2 miles): Seven loops total — six 4.2-mile main loops plus one 1-mile finishing loop.
Half Marathon (13.1 miles): Four loops total — three 4.2-mile main loops plus one 1-mile finishing loop.
The 4 Mile March
The 8 Mile March
You'll share the trail with Bronze Ticket hopefuls. Some of them will still be on course when you finish. That's part of the magic of race weekend at Turkey Bend. While the trail may still hold a backyard ultra runner or two, somewhere past hour twenty, still answering the bell, a new group lines up at dawn.
A brief moment of silence and reflection will occur at the start line to honor the purpose of the day.
If you share the trail with a backyard ultra runner, give them room. Cheer for them. They've been out here a long time.
13.1 miles
26.2 miles
31.4 miles
50.4 miles
62.8 miles
100.8 miles
Complete at least one loop
Complete 13.1 miles
Complete 26.2 miles
Complete 8+ loops (31+ miles)
Overall winner award
Access to this unique endurance challenge in the Texas Hill Country
Commemorative shirt to remember your achievement
Earn a medal by completing at least one loop
Fully stocked aid stations to keep you going hour after hour
How many loops can you complete? Ready to Test Your Limits?
One loop. One hour. One more hour. Join us at Turkey Bend for a race weekend you won't forget.