The Mistake That Ended My Backyard Ultra

What happens if you get your fuelling wrong in a Backyard Ultra? In this video we break down Chris's run at Sydney's Backyard Ultra (6.7km every hour until one runner is left), and dig into the data from a 15-hour sweat test to understand what went wrong. We cover everything from building durability through higher-frequency training, to managing effort early with an elevated heart rate, to practical takeaways you can apply to your own running: preparing for the night phase, pacing through long races, and simple gear decisions that can make a real difference. The key insight comes from the fuelling strategy. Sweat sodium output dropped significantly across the race, but intake stayed high, compounded by high-sodium foods and a large caffeine dose before nightfall. Elite trail runner Vlad Shatrov adds the experienced perspective on race-day decision making, effort control, and how to adjust when things feel off. Vlad also recaps his own epic result at the Newcastle Marathon, run as a training session for his upcoming UTA build. Whether you are preparing for your first Backyard Ultra, building toward an ultra marathon, or just trying to avoid common fuelling mistakes, this video gives you a clear breakdown of what actually happens over long durations. 📱 Our Channel Partner Need a training plan that fits around real life? RunMotion adjusts as your week changes, so you're not stuck trying to follow a plan that no longer makes sense. RunLab viewers get a free month of premium here: https://bit.ly/RunMotion-RunLab 📌 Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:02 Adapt to the Day 02:25 Fix Things Early 03:14 How to Stay Fresh 03:38 Get to the Night 05:39 Where It Went Wrong 06:58 My Fuelling Mistake (Sweat Analysis) 08:57 Training for a Backyard Ultra 10:25 Awesome Coaching Tool! 11:06 Shout Out to Channel Viewers 12:15 Vlad's Marathon Recap 📊 Strava Activities Backyard Ultra https://www.strava.com/activities/18158017201 🎒 Gear we use Some links below are affiliate links. Buying through them supports the channel at no extra cost to you. The Lights We Use: https://bit.ly/Fenix-RunLab Use Code RUNLAB20 for 20% off The Sweat Sensor We Use: https://alnk.to/a47u9qq The Ice Bandana We Use: https://bit.ly/ice-bandana Our Favourite Running Singlets: https://bit.ly/blacksheep-RunLab 📺 Related Videos Hydration deep dive https://youtu.be/NUGllase3E8?si=XbtAnYtETQAZMHWT Active cooling https://youtu.be/qlfNQoxa3N8?si=HJtTGPOB73A8aZys 🏃‍♂️ Follow Vlad Strava https://www.strava.com/athletes/12387974 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vlad_protrailrunner/ 🎥 Follow Chris Strava https://www.strava.com/athletes/28291087 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/chrisbeavon/ 🎬 Follow RunLab Media Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runlabmedia/ 📩 Business enquiries info@runlab.media