A maths teacher and mountain rescue volunteer from Cumbria, England, Sarah is known for her love of long days on the fells – usually with her dog in tow. But even with years of endurance running behind her, this achievement was something else entirely.
“It was the most epic experience,” Sarah says. “I enjoyed every minute and was so grateful to be there. There were serious lows – the heat, sickness, IT band pain – but so many highs too. I loved meeting the other competitors and running further than ever before.”
Big's Backyard Ultra was Sarah’s sixth Backyard Ultra, and experience clearly paid off. The event’s unique format – a 6.7 km (4.167-mile) loop every hour on the hour until only one runner remains – requires not just fitness, but faultless pacing and mental resilience. This distance ensures that if a runner completes one lap every hour for 24 hours, they cover exactly 100 miles in a day.
“The key is to simply run the lap that you’re in and not think about the bigger picture,” she explains. “You have to manage the small problems and trust that things will get better – and often they do.”
As laps turned into days, Sarah’s sleep strategy became a critical part of her success.
“I mastered sleeping this time,” she says. “I’d run the night loop, then come in with enough time to eat, drink, do any other admin, and grab a few minutes of sleep. Even a three-minute nap every hour can work wonders!”
Her focus never wavered – even after surpassing the previous world record.
“Once I’d broken the record, I was really focused on making it to 100 yards,” Sarah says. “I still had it in my legs and head to keep running but a back issue stopped me. I was disappointed but proud.” [Editor’s note: a yard in Backyard Ultra jargon refers to a full 6.7 km loop.]
Throughout the race, Sarah relied on her Suunto Vertical 2 – and the Backyard Ultra SuuntoPlus feature – to manage pacing and timing.
“I loved the Backyard Ultra feature,” she says. “All I need to know is how far I have left in each loop and how much time until the next lap. It’s perfect.”
Sarah is still soaking up the experience and the fact that she is now the world record holder.
“It feels slightly surreal and hasn't really sunk in yet! I always have a variety of goals – number one was to get a PB and then I hoped I could aim for the women's record. I would love to run 100 yards, so this will be my next challenge!”
Sarah Perry’s Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra in numbers
Laps: 95 (New World Record)
Distance: 637 km / 396 miles
Total duration: 95 hours
Total running time: 81:07:08
Fastest lap: 39:53
Average lap: 51:13
Calories: 37,537
Steps: 822,107
Sleep: No data available
Watch: Suunto Vertical 2
Battery consumption: 87% (13% at finish)
All images by Jacob Zocherman / @searchingforzocherman