Oriol Antolí, a computer engineer from Terrassa, Vallès Occidental, recently secured second place at the Belgium Legends Backyard Ultra, Europe's most significant competition in the discipline. Antolí ran for over 90 hours, completing 113 laps and covering approximately 757 kilometres in the extreme long-distance race.
Backyard Ultra is a unique endurance format where runners repeatedly complete a 6.7-kilometre loop in under an hour. The remaining time within the 60-minute window is used for rest, eating, and preparing for the next lap. The race continues until only one runner remains, with all others recorded as having abandoned.
This demanding format originated in 2012 in the United States, created by Lazarus Lake, an ultradistance running enthusiast also known for the Barkley Marathons. Lake designed the initial course on his wooded property, aiming for a race with very few finishers. The discipline arrived in Catalonia in 2021, spearheaded by Marc Fernández, and has since grown significantly, with around 15 such competitions now organised across the region, making Catalonia one of the countries with the highest density of these events.
The Allure of Extreme Endurance
Antolí started his running journey with mountain races, quickly discovering a preference for increasing distances over speed. He progressed from events like the Matagalls-Montserrat traverse to races of 80, 100, and 160 kilometres, eventually completing a 990-kilometre race. “I always say it was a thousand, because I got lost a couple of times and I’m sure I did them,” Antolí told VilaWeb, explaining his continuous search for new challenges.
His motivation stems from self-improvement. “Exploring your limits is very gratifying, because when you achieve it, when you overcome yourself, the comfort is very great,” he said. This feeling, he added, is highly addictive, drawing participants deeper into the sport from casual runs to intense training and competitions.
Antolí's specialisation in Backyard Ultra came about almost by chance. He entered a race called Andomita, which required participation in a similar structured event. Despite initial reluctance, he quickly found himself drawn to the format. “It’s a very social race, because it’s not like the rest of ultradistance, where you’re alone for a long time,” Antolí explained. The hourly regrouping allows for conversation and camaraderie, adding a social dimension to the physical and mental challenge.
Mental and Physical Preparation
Unlike most races with a defined finish line, Backyard Ultra's open-ended nature presents a unique mental hurdle. “The most complicated part of the discipline, and what differentiates it most from other races, is that here, when you’re having a bad time, you don’t know when it will end,” Antolí noted. This absence of a clear end goal is the hardest aspect to manage.
Physically, his preparation with coach Laia Díaz is similar to other ultradistance races. Mentally, however, Antolí incorporates specific training. As race day approaches, he practises on circuits that pass by his car to simulate the temptation to quit. He also runs at varying paces to induce fatigue and then trains while tired, alongside mental exercises designed to exhaust his mind before running.
Managing the time between laps is critical. Antolí aims to balance running fast enough to complete the loop within the hour without over-exerting himself, while also running slowly enough to maximise rest. His primary focus is on sleep. “If you only do twenty-four or forty-eight hours, sleep isn’t so important, but when you go past seventy hours, if you don’t take enough care of your sleep, there comes a point where you don’t even know who you are,” he stated, describing hallucinations and cognitive issues that can arise.
He maximises sleep by heading straight to his tent after each lap, where his support team wakes him three minutes before the next lap starts. This brief window is also used for eating and essential tasks like changing socks or shoes. If an unexpected issue arises, such as a blister, he wakes up five minutes earlier, always prioritising sleep.
Race Pace and Nutrition Strategy
Antolí maintains a steady pace of seven to eight minutes per kilometre, sometimes even slower. While this might seem slow, it translates to 160 kilometres every 24 hours, a constant effort without the option to pause for extended periods as in other ultradistance events. “Here you always have that constant pressure,” he said.
Nutrition during the race involves three main “gourmet” meals a day, consisting of potato purées or rice, rich in carbohydrates. However, these take longer to consume than gels. In his last race, Antolí consumed 150 gels over five days. Gels offer the advantage of precise carbohydrate intake, which is crucial for maintaining nutritional needs and preventing the body from breaking down muscle for energy. He attributes his good stomach tolerance to training his digestive system.
His background as an electronics engineer significantly aids his strategic race preparation. Antolí enjoys the planning and organisational aspects in the months leading up to a race, working with nutritionist Xavi Sebastià, who shares his engineering mindset for optimising performance.
To combat sleepiness during multi-day races, Antolí undergoes a caffeine detox for four to five weeks before an event. During the race, he uses caffeine pills or chewing gum, trying to delay their use for as long as possible to maximise their effect when most needed.
Looking ahead, Antolí continues to seek new challenges in the world of extreme ultrarunning, constantly pushing his physical and mental boundaries in this demanding discipline.
