Paper short abstract:

The Backyard Ultra format reveals how endurance, technology, and social connection intersect. Focusing on Belgian runners and the biannual virtual Team World Championship, this ethnography examines how digital tools shape experiences and community.

Paper long abstract:

The Backyard Ultra, an ultramarathon format where participants run a 6,7km loop every hour until only one runner remains, offers a compelling lens for exploring the intersection of endurance, technology, and social connection. Among Belgian runners, this format fosters a digitally mediated sense of community. Since 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed the creation of the Backyard Ultra Team World Championship, a biannual event where over 60 countries connect digitally to compete simultaneously, with each team running in their respective countries. This global event amplifies the interplay between running and virtual interaction, embedding local performances within an international digital framework. This paper presents an ethnography of Belgian Backyard Ultra runners, focusing on how digital technologies shape their experiences and interactions. Drawing on sensory methods, the study examines how runners use smartwatches, live-streaming platforms, and virtual tracking apps to mediate their engagement with endurance, time, and camaraderie. Virtual audiences and global competitors offer encouragement and motivation, while performance-tracking devices are integral to pacing and strategy. By exploring these phenomena, this ethnography highlights how Belgian runners and race directors navigate the blurred boundaries between local and global, physical and virtual, contributing to discussions on how technology transforms social relations in ultrarunning communities.