Anderson Lake Backyard Ultra

Join us for a fun-filled day (and night) of running and camaraderie at the Anderson Lake Backyard Ultra! We can’t say enough that this race is for just about everybody. This isn’t your typical ultra-marathon. We emphasize doing your best, rather than strict competition. Runners will run one 4.167-mile loop every hour, on the hour, for up to 24 hours. As long as you can make it back to basecamp and the start corral before the next hour, you’ll get to do another loop. The goal is to have fun, enjoy the company of fellow runners, and push yourself as far as you’d like.

Basecamp Vibes 

● Come prepared to get comfy! Bring fun games, tasty food, and your favorite camping chair to hang out in between loops. We’ll provide good company and a supportive atmosphere. 

● No open fires are allowed at basecamp. 

● If you bring pets, they must remain leashed per State of Michigan guidelines. 

All Abilities Welcome 

● Don’t worry about setting records. Whether you are trying to complete one lap, or all 24, this event is for anyone who wants to challenge themselves. The goal is to get us all out to enjoy the outdoors with like-minded folks. Whether you’re a seasoned ultra-runner going for the whole 100 miles, a newby hoping to complete their first lap (Just over 5k by the way), or anything in between, you’re invited to an adventure in the woods. 

Share the Trail 

● The trails that we are using will be open to other trail users during the event. Please treat everybody with respect. If you catch up to a hiker: smile, wave, and wish them a great day! 

Race Start: 8:00 AM, Saturday October 11 

Race Finish: 8:00 AM, Sunday October 12 

Runner Cap: 60 Runners 

Early Packet Pickup: 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM, Friday, October 10th at Forsyth Forward Building in Gwinn (Address: 186 W Flint St, Gwinn, MI) 

Race Day Packet Pickup: 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM, Saturday October 11 at basecamp/starting area.

Rules. 

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AS THIS IS NOT A 100% TRADITIONAL BACKYARD ULTRA. FAILURE TO FOLLOW RULES MAY RESULT IN A DNF OR DISQUALIFICATION. ● The Anderson Lake Backyard Ultra, is a 24 hour event. This means that there will be 24 loops in total. 

● Course: A marked loop of 4.167 miles (6.706 km). 

● Start: Race begins at 8:00 AM. Each loop begins exactly one hour after the last. If you are not in the starting corral for the initial start, you are disqualified. You won’t even get one of our sweet wooden medals, so please be there. 

● Time Limit: Runners must complete the loop and be back at the starting corral within the hour in order to continue. Each loop starts every hour, on the hour. 8AM, 9AM, 10AM, etc. If a runner fails to start or finish a loop within the hour, they are out of the race (Did Not Finish). 

● Starting Corral: Runners must be in the designated starting corral at the bell. Runners not in the corral when the bell rings are done. 

● No Lateness: There are no late starts. 

● No Early Starts: You must wait for the starting bell to begin each loop, every hour on the hour. If you finish your loop in 40 minutes, that’s great. You have 19 minutes to hang out at basecamp, eat, recover, and have fun. 

● No Leaving the Course: Except for restroom breaks, runners cannot leave the course during a loop. 

● Personal Aid: No personal aid during the loop (common aid stations are allowed). ● Slower runners must allow passes. 

● Winner: The race continues until only one runner remains. 

● One More Lap: The winner completes one final lap, alone, after the second to last runner drops out. If a runner fails to do an additional lap solo, we have no winner except in the following scenario. 

● FINAL LAP: If multiple runners begin the 24th and final lap, the race is on. The first person to finish the 24th lap is our winner. All other runners, even if they finish lap 24, DNF. 

● A headlamp is required from the 7:00 PM lap onward.. There is no lighting on this course, and you will be in the woods, in the dark. Failure to use a headlamp beginning with the 7:00 PM lap will disqualify runners. We strongly recommend a backup source of light as well.

Where 

● Anderson Lake Campground and the Anderson Lake Pathway sits about 5 miles southwest of Gwinn. The campground road entrance and trailhead is on County Road 577. 

● Here is a link for campground information on the Michigan DNR website: https://www2.dnr.state.mi.us/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=90&type=SFPW#overview ● Directions from Gwinn, MI 

○ Take M-35 N to N Serenity Dr (1.5 mi) 

○ Turn left onto N Serenity Dr (1.4 mi) 

○ Turn left onto S Co Rd 557 (3.0 mi) 

○ Continue on Anderson Lake Rd to your destination 

● When you arrive at the entrance to the campground on County Road 557, there is a small parking lot at the trailhead and a gravel road. This road is just under a mile long, and our basecamp and start line will be at the end of this road in the boat ramp parking lot. 

Course Details 

● This will be a 4.167 mile repeating loop. The course begins at the Anderson Lake boat ramp and access site. Runners will start on a short gravel road leadout. They will then enter the Anderson Lake Pathway which is a wide, winter ski trail, with a section of skinnier singletrack in the latter portion of the course. You will finish your loop back on the gravel road and return to the starting pen / loop finish. The course flows through the forest and includes about 289 feet of total climbing per loop. 

Navigation 

● The course will be marked with flags, tape, and signs. 

Awards 

● All runners who complete at least one loop will receive a medal. 

● We will have one overall winner for all runners. Everybody else will be a DNF, even if you complete all 24 laps. The winner will be the runner with the most completed laps. If there are multiple runners who begin the 24th lap, the winner will be the runner who completes the final lap the quickest.

Packet Pickup Details 

● Friday, October 10th at Forsyth Forward Building in Gwinn, MI 

○ 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM 

○ Address: 186 W Flint St, Gwinn, MI 

○ Saturday, October 11th 

■ 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM at base camp at Anderson Lake Campground 

Base Camp Setup 

● You will be given a 10’x10’ area to set up how you like at the Anderson Lake Campground boat ramp / access site. This will be near our start line and officials desk. We recommend bringing a 10x10 canopy top, or tent, as there will not be any additional shelter at base camp. This will be in the gravel parking lot, so stakes may be hard to hammer in. You may want to bring weighted buckets for canopies. Please plan accordingly. The setup area will be marked. Please set up as close to other participants as possible, as we have limited space. 

○ Friday, October 10th 

■ 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Anderson Lake Campground Basecamp 

■ Directions in “Where” Section 

○ Saturday, October 11th 6:00AM to 7:00 AM

Parking 

● We have limited parking for this event, so please carpool if you can. The only area we have designated for parking is the campground parking lot directly on County Road 557, and this is a small parking lot. 

● No parking is allowed along the shoulder of County Road 557. 

● All vehicles entering the pathway parking area at the intersection of County Road 557, and beyond will be required to have a valid State of Michigan Recreation Passport. If you do not have a park and rec pass for your vehicle, you will not be permitted to park at the 557 parking lot. We do have overflow parking for those vehicles, without the pass, at the Up North Lodge. 

● We will have overflow parking at the Up North Lodge Event Center. This parking will be well marked for our runners to use. If parking here, please do not park outside of our marked parking at the Up North Lodge Event Center, as they have their own business going on. This is about 2.6 miles from the campground. We will not have shuttles, so you are on your own to get to the start from the Up North Lodge. 

Campground Camping 

● There are 2 campground loops with 13 total spots at this campground. We have not reserved these, and they are not a part of our event. You are welcome to reserve and pay for them on your own. The state charges $20 per day. These are not that close to the race start, so we highly recommend setting up at basecamp, even if you are planning to camp in a state of Michigan spot. 

Water, Food, and Self Support 

● There is one hand operated water pump at this campground. We will also be supplying water and snacks at basecamp and at aid stations that are on course. This will not be enough food to sustain runners planning on staying for the duration of this event. Plan to be self supported for nutrition. Bring enough food to accomplish your goal for the day. 

Weather 

● Temperatures tend to average in the 40 to 50 degree range, but it can get quite hot during the day, or close to freezing at night. Please plan accordingly. 

● We plan on moving forward with this event rain or shine. If inclement weather does occur, we may cancel, postpone, or end the event prematurely. 

No Refunds Policy 

● We will do our best to make sure this event goes on. However, due to the costs leading up to this event and limited scope of our permits, all sales are final, even in the occurrence of event cancellation. 

● Entry fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. 

● No refunds will be issued, even if you are unable to participate