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."

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 last. Each country hosts their own event on home soil — the Canadian event is in Edmundston, N.B. —