Dizzy Horse, A Winter Backyard Ultra
START CORRAL: will be just outside the Bonneville County Exhibition Hall. You'll need to be in it before the top of each hour. At the top of each hour, you'll start off on a wandering and possibly dizzying journey through Sandy Downs park. The course will be thoroughly and completely marked so you won't stand a chance of becoming lost. The course will be about 25% grass, 20% horse racetrack, 35% dirt, 8% sand and 12% pavement (or because it's December in Idaho it could be 100% snow). The only part that isn't flat is the bit in the sand along the canal, with a lung busting climb with about 35 feet of vert. To finish in time you need only run at a 14 minute 23 second pace (although you'll want to go a bit faster to give yourself some time in transition to eat, drink, use the bathroom, etc.) A bell will ring at 3 minutes, 2 minutes, and 1 minute before the hour, letting you know that it's time to get back into the starting corral. Everyone must start at the top of the hour and stay on course until they've finished their lap or run out of time. There will also be a porta-potty at about the halfway point and heated bathrooms, you can use that porta-potty/bathroom or the porta-potties by the start corral without being DQ'd, but you can't run back to gear/food bag or get something from your crew after the bell rings until your finish your lap.
At the start of each lap, everyone who remains is tied for first, which means, you'll be in first place until you quit or it ends and you win. The race continues until only one participant remains (we call it "Last Horse Standing"). The Last Horse Standing must complete one more loop than 2nd place (the assist person), otherwise, there is no winner. Everyone who doesn't win will get a custom DNF award. We'll also have awards for making certain benchmarks, like 50 miles (12 hours), 100 miles (24 hours), etc. Winner will be declared "Last Horse Standing" and will get a special prize package!
Deluxe aid station will be right inside the Exhibition Hall and have specialty items for food along with standard aid station fare. In addition to water, a choice of other beverages will be available.
Crew: While the runners are out running the course, crew can refuel, relax. We'll also be close enough to town that if crew needs to run into town and get food, supplies, etc., they can quickly do that and get back before you return from your 4.167 sojourn in the desert. Eliminated runners are welcome to stay and "join" up as crew for runners still in the mix.
