Nobody Asked Me to Crew a Backyard Ultra. I Did It Anyway.

I've run my fair share of ultras. I've spent countless hours on trails, questioned my life choices, and experienced the highs and lows of endurance running.

But this October, I decided to experience an ultra from the other side.

I volunteered to crew three friends, Maya, Britney, and Xavier, at the BB Backyard Ultra in Sudbury, Ontario.

And when I say volunteered, I mean exactly that.

Nobody asked me.

I'm actually not sure why nobody asked, because if there's one thing I've learned about ultra running, it's that having a good crew can make all the difference.

But I figured, how much fun could it be to crew three friends?

Turns out, a lot.

Also, a lot of work.

And apparently, a legitimate reason to wear an inflatable T-Rex costume.

First, what the heck is a backyard ultra?

The concept is beautifully simple and slightly ridiculous.

Every hour, on the hour, runners complete a 6.7 km loop.

Finish in 45 minutes? Congratulations, you have 15 minutes to rest, eat, and prepare for the next loop.

Finish in 59 minutes? You have one minute.

And then you do it all again.

The race continues until only one runner can complete another loop within the hour.

No predetermined distance. No traditional finish line. Just one more loop.

It's as much a mental challenge as a physical one, and those precious minutes between loops become increasingly important.

Which brings me to the crew.

Three runners, three personalities, one slightly overprepared crew chief

I love a good plan. Maybe a little too much.

Before the race, I researched everyone's Strava accounts, used ChatGPT to analyze the course and identify where to run versus walk, and studied the nutritional information of their favourite foods.

Calories, carbs, sodium, all of it.

Yes, I made spreadsheets.

We also had a prep meeting where I asked what foods they liked, how they wanted to be motivated, and most importantly, what questions I was NOT allowed to ask.

Because these three needed very different things.

Maya needed encouragement. Positive energy and reassurance.

Xavier needed his mind kept happy. Humour, distraction, and something to look forward to.

Britney needed tough love. This one terrified me a little.

I'm not naturally a tough-love person, so I actually practiced beforehand.

Seriously.

Our plan was simple. We'd each drive to Sudbury, set up three tents close together, and I'd manage all three runners.

We arrived, set up camp, and ran the course together to identify the best places to walk, run, and watch our footing.

That evening, we enjoyed dinner, unveiled the race goodies and raised a glass to the adventure ahead.

What could possibly go wrong?

The system: organized chaos, every single hour

One thing became clear quickly.

A backyard ultra crew doesn't have an hour between loops. They have whatever time is left when their runner returns.

And with three runners arriving at different times, those minutes disappear fast.

So we had a system.

Runner comes in. Sit. Get warm. Eat. Check in. Refill bottles. Check in again. Massage, pep talk, or tough love as needed.

Then get them back out there.

I tracked what everyone ate, both on course and between loops, keeping an eye on calories and rotating foods so nobody got bored.

Rice, potatoes, Mr. Noodles, bananas, cookies. You never knew what was coming next!

I'd meet them at the cheering section about 12 to 14 minutes into their loop, then race back to camp to prepare everything before they returned.

As the hours passed and turnaround times got tighter, I started preparing little to-go bags.

Less thinking. More doing.

Enter the grape, the octopus, and the T-Rex

Remember how Xavier needed his mind kept happy?

Well, I took that assignment rather seriously.

Every second or third loop, I'd appear in a different costume.

A giant bunch of grapes. An inflatable T-Rex. An octopus. A police officer.

Because nothing says "you've got this" quite like a grown woman dressed as fruit.

I also made approximately 36 different cheering signs, giving everyone something new to look forward to at our cheering spot.

And the best part? Other runners started enjoying the ridiculousness too.

Did it make anyone faster? Probably not.

Did it make people smile? Absolutely.

And sometimes, that's exactly what you need.

Seven things I learned about crewing

1. You will be colder than the runners. When you're running, you're generating heat. When you're crewing in Sudbury in October, you're freezing. Bring layers. Then bring more.

2. Old-school hot water bottles are magic. Seriously underrated. They kept runners warm between loops and saved me from turning into a human popsicle.

3. Always have hot water ready. Tea, soup, Mr. Noodles, hot water bottles. Having boiled water available was one of our smartest decisions.

4. Track nutrition, but keep food interesting. Calories and carbs matter, but so does actually wanting to eat. Rotating foods made a big difference.

5. Have a system before you need one. When everyone's exhausted and the clock is ticking, routines eliminate unnecessary decisions.

6. Crewing is as much mental as physical. Encouragement for Maya, humour for Xavier, tough love for Britney. What works for one runner might be completely wrong for another.

7. Preparation creates room for the unexpected. Having everything ready before they returned meant I could focus on what each runner actually needed.

What would I do differently?

Oh, I have a list.

First, fewer tents. Three sounded great until we had to tear everything down while exhausted.

I'd bring more supplies, introduce muscle recovery tools earlier, and ask better questions about food. Not just what they like, but what their comfort foods are when everything starts feeling hard.

I'd also bring four hot water bottles instead of two.

One for each runner.

And one for me. Obviously.

But my biggest regret?

I wish I'd stayed to watch Maya finish.

After sharing so much of the journey, I wish I'd been there for that final moment.

That's one lesson I'll carry into the next race.

Three runners. Three goals. One very proud crew chief.

Britney, Xavier, and Maya each arrived with their own goals, challenges, and reasons for running.

And every single one of them achieved what they set out to do, and then some.

Britney pushed through 11 loops, more than 80 kilometres, before her race ended on the twelfth. Watching her dig deep was incredible.

Xavier accomplished his goal, and seeing his determination made every ridiculous costume worthwhile.

And Maya kept pushing beyond what most people would ever imagine attempting.

I'm ridiculously proud of all three of them.

Not just for the kilometres, but for the courage it takes to keep showing up at that start line, hour after hour, knowing exactly how hard the next loop might be.

I went into this weekend thinking I was helping three friends run an ultra.

What I didn't expect was how much I'd get out of it myself.

As runners, we're often focused on our own goals, finish times, and personal bests.

But there's something pretty special about celebrating someone else's victories as though they were your own.

Sometimes that means having a hot meal ready.

Sometimes it means knowing exactly what to say.

And sometimes it means standing in the woods dressed as a giant bunch of grapes.

Because ultra running might be an individual sport, but nobody gets through it entirely alone.

To Maya, Britney, and Xavier, thank you for letting me be part of your adventure. I'm so incredibly proud of you all.

And yes, I'd crew you again in a heartbeat.

Just maybe with fewer tents and more hot water bottles.