Regina runner shares secrets to his success in grueling backyard ultra marathons
Preston Schaffer didn't consider himself a runner until four years ago.
Now, the 39-year-old Regina massage therapist competes in backyard ultra marathons that can last for days.
Unlike a traditional race, where you run a set distance as fast as possible, a backyard ultra marathon requires runners to complete the same 6.7-kilometre loop every hour, on the hour, until only one runner remains. The race is about endurance and balance. If a runner goes too hard, they'll burn out early.
The record is 108 hours, for a total distance of 724 kilometres.
In August, Preston earned a spot on the Canadian national team by winning the Grassroots Ultra in Okotoks, Alta., with 35 laps totalling 234.7 kilometres.
His first secret to success?
"My wife tells me that I have to keep running, and I listen to my wife. I'm a smart husband," he joked.
His wife Kristen, a teacher, is his crew captain.
Preston ran his first half-marathon in 2022, then jumped straight to ultra marathons.
"It's kind of funny for me, because my joke is I've never actually done a real marathon," he said.
A traditional marathon is roughly 42 kilometres. In Preston's first backyard ultra, he ran 21 laps for a total of 140 kilometres.
"I woke up the next day, or the day afterwards, and thought to myself, 'I could have went further. I could have went longer,'" he said. "I think that's why backyard ultra speaks to me, because I typically want to see how far I can go, before I can't."
'I'm a smart husband': Backyard ultra marathoner on national team explains how he keeps running
Preston is part of a 15-member Canadian team that will compete against 63 other countries at the Big Backyard Ultra World Team championship starting Oct. 19. No one knows how long the race will