Orkney Backyard Ultra was first run in June 2022, with the second race in July 2023. With our long Orcadian summer days, dramatic sunsets after midnight and sun rise just an a couple hours after, you will have an amazing experience running in Twatt!
However if you want to experience true Orcadian hospitality in a backyard format, I’m sorry you are going to have to wait our next race is planned for summer 2026!!
Our Backyard is on Twatt Farm in the west of the very beautiful main island of Orkney. Closer to Oslo than we are to London, Twatt is the perfect place to run and run and run – and run. It’ll hurt. But in a good way.
This low-key, off-grid event will be run on a mixed terrain route of dirt road, grass and trail – out and back – across Twatt Farm. With almost 300ft of elevation, the route is easily completed within an hour (at least for the first few laps!)
Runners must be inside the starting Coral when the farmer honks his tractor horn to signal the beginning of every lap – on the hour, every hour. Anyone who doesn’t line-up for the start at any point during the race or doesn’t complete the yard within the hour, will be timed out and be a DNF!
There is an Orkney Backyard Ultra facebook page, this is the best way to see how great our event is and why you might need to put it in your diary for 2026!
For information on the best way to travel to Orkney and to make the most of your stay here, please check out the Visit Scotland website or feel free to contact me at sarahscarth79@gmail.com
