GrassRoots Backyard Ultra 2027

The Backyard Format

At the top of every hour, every runner begins the same 6.71 km loop along the beautiful Sheep River pathway in Okotoks.

Complete the loop within the hour, and you’re back in the corral ready to do it again. Miss the cutoff—or decide your race is over—and your Backyard journey comes to an end.

Only one question matters:

Can you find one more loop?

The race continues until only one runner remains. Everyone else records a DNF, regardless of whether they completed two loops or one hundred.

It’s a format that rewards patience, consistency, and resilience just as much as speed.

Why GrassRoots?

Because somewhere over the past six years, GrassRoots became more than a Backyard Ultra.

It became the race people circle on their calendar.

The one they come back to year after year.

The one where first-timers line up beside national team members, where every runner is cheered the same, and where every completed loop—whether it’s your second or your thirty-second—is worth celebrating.

That’s what we’ve built in Okotoks.

And we can’t wait to welcome you back into the corral.

More Than a Race

The GrassRoots Backyard Ultra has become known for something far greater than distance.

It’s the cheers from runners who are no longer racing.

It’s volunteers who stood in the rain one year and came back the next to toe the line themselves.

It’s families crewing together, friendships that last long after race weekend, and strangers becoming part of a community that understands exactly why you keep answering the bell.

Every year, new Backyardigans discover that the real magic isn’t found in being the Last Person Standing.

It’s found in every single loop shared along the way.

Course Details

Location: Okotoks, Alberta — just 20 minutes south of Calgary.

Course: A 6.71 km loop consisting primarily of paved pathways along the scenic Sheep River, with a short section of single-track dirt trail and approximately 34 metres of elevation gain per lap.

Please note: This is an open course that follows public pathways. Runners should remain aware of other pathway users throughout the event.