Bush Bitches Backyard Ultra 2025
- True North Tactical Fitness
- Oct 9
- 6 min read
Bush Bitches Backyard Ultra 2025 at Kivi Park Race Day Review
The Bush Bitches Backyard Ultra (BBBU) at Kivi Park is only in its second year, but here’s the thing: it already feels big. Sudbury’s only backyard ultra became Canada’s largest backyard ultra this year, and after watching 200+ people line up and go round after round, I get why.
What a Backyard Ultra Actually Is.
One lap every hour, on the hour, until only one person is left standing.
Your goal: run the lap in under an hour, get whatever you can done in the corral, then do it again.
Repeat until you can’t anymore.
Winner must win by completing one lap more than second place.
Everyone else, DNFs.
The Course at Kivi Park
This year the Bush Bitches team built a gorgeous, runnable, and deceptively tough 6.7 km loop at Kivi Park. It had a lot less singletrack than last year, more open trail and gravel, and a little more elevation sprinkled throughout.
The Bush Bitches took full advantage of Kivi Park’s best features and designed a loop that’s fun to run but not a joke. More open stretches to accommodate the higher number or runners, less singletrack for fewer bottlenecks, and easier crew access.
Best part for me, we still ran past the wishing tree - the same little moment of calm and cheeky superstition - that kept me smiling on every lap and had me questioning life choices at the same time.
Race Day Weather
We kicked off at 9:00 AM.
Morning drive-in said 5°C, so we started layers-on, fingers already kinda frozen, and ready for a brisk day. By the afternoon though we were dying of heat, trying to strip off as many layers as we could and lather in sunscreen all at the same time.
Over 29°C
Heat took out a chunk of athletes in the afternoon; hydration, pacing and cooling became just as important as anything else.
CAN WE TAKE A MOMENT TO APPRECIATE THIS HAT >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
My approach (and what seemed to work for our group) was to run 50–53 minute laps. That left around 7–10 minutes in the corral each hour, giving us time to eat, change clothes if you needed, top up fluids, and get to the next lap without stress.
Consistent, conservative, social—that was the rhythm we rode.
Our Crew, Our Tent, Our People
This year we brought another squad.
My wife Marisa, my buddies Joel and Josh.
Plus we were camped right beside our other 2 friends Dilyn and Jason.
I had a slightly different approach this year, trying to help Marisa get as close to the Marathon/Ultra distance as possible, before heading off to see how far I'd get compared to last years 11 Laps.
We ran a lot of laps together and a lot apart, but the beauty of a backyard ultra is you can run your own race, but you'll always have a squad of people making noise for you on the fairway and helpful hands back in your tent.
Talking set up.
Setup on Friday night was smooth and straightforward. The Bush Bitches team has this dialed in, with clear directions and space management so tents/crew areas flow naturally.
That matters more than you think when you’re looking to maximize time between laps.
Photos courtesy of Jess McShane Co
The Moment: Marisa, the Coral, a Pinky Promise, and a Piggyback Finish
I’ll cut straight to the part that made my day.
After a few laps the heat and pace pinched Marisa.
We split up for a bit. She dropped back, I held the plan pace, and the goal was to see eachother back at the tent.
Lap 5 came and went, as after getting back and sorted the whole crew was keeping an eye out for her.... She hadnt come back yet and we were running out of time.
The three-minute warning, then the one-minute warning.
Still no Marisa.
As we made our way back into the coral with less than a minute left before we head back out, Jake - a good buddy of mine hits me on the shoulder and points "there she is brother."
35 seconds left, she pops out of the trees, pushing everything to make it back in time.
She squeaks in by seconds. Horn blows. She goes hands on her knees and tells me she’s done.
I asked the simple question: “Is it because you have nothing left, or is it because you don’t want to start the next lap alone?”
The look on her face said it all.
I told her I’d ride or die with her out on that lap, she just needed to keep going, and don’t DNF in the coral.
Pinky promise made. We went out together.
We DNF’d that lap in the strict sense, ending our race with 40.2kms and 6 Laps. But we finished it in our Spartan style: with a piggyback sprint across the finish line. We walked away smiling, right around marathon-ish distance, within striking distance of 42 km, and that was the end of our race.
How the Rest of the Team Did
Despite us being done running, we kept cheering long after our race ended. We both couldnt have been more proud of all the runners we saw ringing the PB Bell in the corral, but especially to our team who did some serious yardage out there.
Congrats gents - well done.
Josh — 10 laps
Joel — 12 laps
Dilyn — 17 laps
Jason — 18 laps
The race rolled on for a total of 28 hours before our reigning champion, Michael Rouleau, took last man standing again!
Photos courtesy of Jess McShane Co
Organization, Race Flow, and Vibe
This thing is only two years old and the Bush Bitches team are undefeated when it comes to running a smooth event. From Friday tent setup through race-day logistics, everything was dialed in.
Clear signage and course markings meant nobody had to guess.
Crew areas and runner paths were intuitive. The corral flow was logical and calm.
Photographers were on course grabbing great shots.
Medals were wicked, the same style swagger as last year.
The energy was loud, supportive, and nonstop.
Trust me when I say; If you’re a runner who cares about organization, wants good vibes but also enough space to do your thing.... these folks are doing it right!
Photos courtesy of Jess McShane Co
Swag: The Bush Bitches Know How to Treat Runners
Last year’s swag was already standout - a duffle bag, hat, stickers, beer, race cup.
This year they doubled down.
The running daypack was perfect with a clean design and great colour.
The new hat had a sharp 2025 design. More stickers, a cup, a bell, and yes - a pickle, because why not?
Bush Bitches, you have me feeling like runner royalty - thank you!
Race Day Lessons and Takeaways
There’s always a dozen small things that make or break a backyard ultra.
Here’s what we learned this year, with context so it actually helps.
Pace conservatively early: We ran 50–53 minute laps. (Keep in mind the champ ran a little slower than us most laps, and he went for 28 hours). Slow enough to conserve energy but also enough time to refeed, regroup and, crucially, time incase you need the bathroom.
Plan for weather swings: Layers for a cold 9 AM. Hat and electrolyte plan for a 29°C afternoon. The folks who treated the day as one long 9 AM suffered. Rule of thumb, you need clothes for every occasion, especially if you plan on being out there long term.
Crew placement matters: Our tent being right on the strip made transitions painless. If you can control where your crew sits, prioritize access and shade.
Food equals morale: Food = Life in a race like this. Simple carbs, salty snacks, something you’ll actually eat when hot or cold. Food you can run after eating. FOOD!!!
Carry a bell, make noise: It sounds silly until you’re out there. But running by a crowd of people cheering and making noise for you. It helps!
Help bring up the vibes, make a little noise and support each other.
Accept the day as a community event: Backyard ultras are as much about the people you meet as the miles. Talk. Help. Laugh. The race will hand you moments you didn’t plan on. Even after we finished our race, we stuck around to cheer on runners, laugh with crew members, make the most of the event we came for.
Final Thoughts
BBBU 2025 at Kivi Park was a reminder of why I love this sport.
The trails were fun, the event was buttery-smooth, the weather was a treat, and the people made the event.
I came in this year not trying to go for a max distance but instead to run with friends and support Marisa, and that turned out to be exactly why this race was so special.
Huge props to the Bush Bitches team for putting on a top-tier event yet again.
From organization to swag, to the whole vibe, you nailed it.
If you’re thinking about a backyard ultra in Canada, make this one a bucket-list race.
I’m already planning for 2026, wondering how far I can push, how many laps I can tack on at Canada’s largest backyard ultra.
If you were there, drop a comment below with your lap number, your favorite moment, or where you nearly gave up but didn’t. If you weren’t there and want to know more about sign-up, pacing, or what to bring for crew life, say the word and I’ll break it down.
