Belgian ultrarunners Merijn Geerts, Ivo Steyaert, and Frank Gielen made history early Thursday by breaking the world record in the Backyard Ultra ultramarathon, covering nearly 738 kilometers (about 458 miles) over the course of four days and 14 hours. The grueling race took place in Retie, Belgium.
The Backyard Ultra format involves a 6.7-kilometer (4.2-mile) loop, which participants must complete within an hour. The race continues indefinitely until only one runner remains, requiring athletes to run about 100 miles per day.
This year’s bi-annual world championship saw 63 countries participate, with national teams of up to 15 runners. The winning country is determined by the total number of loops completed by its runners. Belgium emerged victorious with an impressive 1,147 completed loops, thanks in large part to the efforts of Geerts, Steyaert, and Gielen, each finishing 110 laps. Australia and the United States followed with 971 and 969 loops, respectively.
The Belgian trio's achievement surpasses the previous record of 108 laps, set by American runner Harvey Lewis last year. In a display of friendship and solidarity, Geerts, Steyaert, and Gielen linked arms as they crossed the finish line together on their 110th lap, deciding to share the victory.
Reflecting on the feat, Steyaert told Sporza, “I didn’t think it was possible to break that world record. We decided in the last round to stop together. We are three friends, and we thought it would be nicer to share the record with the three of us.”
This incredible performance solidifies Belgium’s place in the ultrarunning world, setting a new benchmark for endurance athletes globally.
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