On March 22, 44 avid runners converged on a hilly northern Pennsylvania countryside near the town of Nicholson. The mission: to be the last one standing in a grueling race laced with hills, creeks, pastures and, if you make it to the night loop, a country road. A run organized by Matt Pfahl and his wife, Krysten Zigga, the fifth annual Bullshit Backyard Ultra (BSBU) follows the backyard ultra format and, over the past five years, has garnered attention as a bronze ticket event. This year’s winner gains entry into the 2026 Capital Backyard Ultra. Notable runners who registered include Scott Snell, a member of Team USA 2022 and 2024 Backyard World Championships, and Mary Namestnik, the female record holder for the BSBU and the 2024 Mines of Spain 100-miler.
The unique format means runners have one hour to complete each loop throughout the event. Each hour includes a start, finish and whatever rest and refresh time the runners can achieve at their aid stations. If a runner fails to complete the loop within the allotted hour, they receive a “did not finish” (DNF) designation and are eliminated from the race.
The BSBU begins with the day loop at 7 a.m. At 7p.m., the race transitions to the night loop which has easier terrain to navigate in the dark. Mandatory gear for the night loop included: headlamps, spare batteries for headlamps, reflective vests or wrist/leg reflectors, rear-mounted red blinking lights and cell phones. And at 7a.m. the next day, the race transitioned back to the day loop.
The corral is the gathering spot for runners and race officials and is the designated area for loop starts. Upon completing a loop, runners re-enter the corral, tap a rock positioned near its edge and communicate their bib numbers to race officials. With each passing hour, runners who wish to continue must be present in the corral before the loop starts. A loop can only commence if at least one runner is in the corral. If only one runner begins a loop, they take the win by successfully completing it within the allotted time. However, if that runner fails to finish on time, the race concludes without a winner and all participants receive a DNF status.
This above cycle continues for as long as the winning conditions are not met.
This year’s BSBU featured a field of 36 men and 8 women. They assembled at 6:45 a.m. for the pre-race briefing followed by Madelyn Pfahl’s singing of the national anthem—daughter of the race organizers. As the clock neared 7 a.m., the runners moved into the corral to position. Following tradition at the BSBU, the runners unleashed a primal howl, signaling their readiness for the challenge ahead.
The start of the Bullshit Backyard. Photo Ben Vauter
Runner attritions were slow and incremental through the first 12 loops (50 miles) when compared to previous BSBU events. There were 11 runners who successfully made it to the start of the night loop, which posed a challenge. After a late evening shower, a brisk and steady wind swept across the course causing temperatures to plummet below freezing. The course itself with its darkness, figure eight shape and horseshoe patterns taxed the will and stanima of exhausted racers. One stretch of the loop required runners to traverse 8 x 4 plywood boards in a futile attempt to keep their feet dry.
To most of the runners it was no surprise that Scott Snell would be the last racer to tap on the rock. As the last man standing, Snell completed the BSBU at 5:08 a.m. the following day with a 22-loop (91.74 miles) finish. The assist went to Daniel Teabo who completed 21 loops (87.57 miles).
“I really didn’t know what to expect going into this race,” said Snell. “I picked the race because it was close to home, and worked with my schedule and my son’s schedule.” His son, Steven (13), completed (33.36 miles) and later crewed his dad for the remainder of the race.
According to Snell, the day loop was the best part of the course, but the night loop was relatively tough. “We had to run over those 8 x 4 plywood boards twice for every loop. I did the trail math in my head. It was a low point for me thinking about the number of times I had to run over those boards.” Snell typically relies on night loop road running as a means to recover while in the race, but that strategy was not as helpful. “Running the road is easier,” he said. “But it was only about a mile of road—the rest was pasture.”
The top female finisher was Namestnik, who came in fifth overall by completing 16 loops (66.72 miles). This was her third top female finish at the BSBU in as many years. “The BSBU is my favorite race. From the moment the race ends, I look forward to the next race start,” said Namestnik.
Snell was a bit surprised that the BSBU has not drawn greater interest from the greater backyard ultra community. “It’s a challenge technically and not a super easy course. It has growth potential,” he said.
Full race results can be found here.