Phil Gore breaks backyard-ultra world record at Dead Cow Gully race
A world record for backyard ultra-marathon has been broken at an iconic Queensland race event after five days of running.
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A world record for backyard ultra-marathon has been broken at an iconic South Burnett race event, with a West Australian man beating the previous record by three laps.
Endurance athlete Phil Gore completed 119 loops of the 6.7km track of the Dead Cow Gully race near Nanango, running almost 800km over five days.
The race began at 7am on Saturday morning, with 263 participants from all over the world competing seriously or joining in for fun.
The racers must complete a loop of 6.7km within the hour, until one runner remains.
New Zealand man, Sam Harvey, and Mr Gore were the last two competitors left after Belgian racer and previous world record holder, Merijn Geerts, dropped out of the competition at loop 103.
Mr Harvey broke the world record alongside Mr Gore after completing 117 loops together in the early hours on Thursday morning.
“Both Phil Gore and Sam Harvey set a new world record. Through stubborn determination, they ran through our coldest night yet,” the Dead Cow Gully Facebook announcement read.
The previous record of 116 laps, or 777km, was set by Łukasz Wróbel at the Legends Backyard Belgium earlier this year.
In a video posted to the event Facebook page, Mr Gore said it was amazing to make it this far with Mr Harvey, given their history.
In 2023, the pair broke a previous world record of 102 laps.
“When we were getting close to that record, I thought I was going to have to walk a few laps with (Mr Harvey) to make sure we got there,” he said.
“It’s amazing.”
“The bar just keeps getting raised higher and higher, I’m glad I’m still able to keep up with it.
“But I’m sure I’ll be beaten again within a year.”
He praised Mr Harvey’s dedication and athleticism, and joked about his relentless determination to win.
“You’re insane, what you pushed through,” he said.
“When everything was against him, he still just refused to quit, refused to give up, hoping for something like me falling over.”
The number of loops completed was not the only record broken at this event.
Reportedly, the Dead Cow Gully event has also broken the record for number of runners to finish 100 miles, with 87 people finishing loop 24 on Sunday.
The previous record was held by the 2023 Bigs Backyard event in Tennessee, referred to as the original backyard ultra, with 73 runners.
Event organiser and Nanango local, Timothy Walsh said while breaking records was impressive, the spirit of the event was about people coming together and trying their best.
“It was another great event at Dead Cow Gully this year,” he said.
“Although records are impressive and capture the imagination of many, it’s the everyday runners at the lower levels testing their limits which is at the heart of the Gully.
“Someone running three or four loops for the first time can change someone’s life for the better.”
“This is what Backyards are all about, and it’s this spirit that draws so many to our little farm outside Nanango every year.”
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Originally published as Phil Gore breaks backyard-ultra world record at Dead Cow Gully race
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