The 4 Fore 30 Backyard Ultra in Missouri has changed a lot over the last few years. In 2023, the event was held on a golf course, in 2024 it switched to a road out-and-back and in 2025 the race introduced its most beautiful and complex loop yet. This was my first year running it, and the course made a statement.
The loop wrapped around baseball fields before dropping into a short stretch of trails, then climbed back across the infield of one of the diamonds. The terrain kept us alert: soft flat grass, sharp pockets of choppy grass with marked holes and rocky dirt sections that reminded me of the Maah Daah Hey 116 in the North Dakota Badlands. It was a 4.167-mile backyard loop with a little character and a little bite.
Day one warmed up more than expected, and the heat took a toll early. By sunset, the field of 58 starters had thinned to just 22 runners. When night arrived, temperatures dipped into the low 40s, and the cold claimed more runners around the 50-mile and 100k marks.
By yard 18, only seven of us remained. And then, almost without warning, the race turned into a duel: just Brett Rinehart and me heading out on yard 19. Exhausted and fighting off sleep, I looked over and said, “You ready for this hundred?” It wasn’t a joke. We were just two tired runners acknowledging the road ahead. He nodded, and we continued into the night.
Sunrise brought a little life back into our hands and faces. The once-packed parking lot had faded into a sparse row of cars – a quiet reminder that the race was deep into its later chapters. What had been loud and energetic on day one now felt peaceful and hungry. Brett and I were both dreaming about food and warmth.
Halfway through yard 30, I descended the three switchbacks and glanced back toward the ridge. Brett wasn’t in sight. When I climbed back toward the baseball fields, I finally spotted him far below on the final switchback. I checked my watch, looked again and shouted, “Come on, Brett!” He was dangerously close to timing out.
I finished the loop just as he reached the fields. He still had a mile left and only 14 minutes on the clock. His face showed the look every backyard runner recognizes – that moment when your mind and body argue about whether there’s another yard in you. I yelled, “Go! Go!” and something in him lit up. He took off and hammered that mile, crossing with 4 minutes to spare. My crew filled his flasks while volunteers shoved calories into his hands. Brett did not quit.
He gave everything he had. He closed yard 30 in a near sprint, fought through yard 31 and started yard 32 with grit – but his race ended there. It was one of the gutsiest efforts I’ve seen.
I finished yard 32 with 15:23 left, completing my 18th race of 100 miles or more in 2025.
32 yards. 133.334 miles. Last man standing.
Full results here.