About BackyardPace

Built by a Backyard Ultra runner.

Hi, I'm Tim Dove and I'm passionate about the backyard format. I've done 3 backyards now (PB of 20 hours) and I built this app out of a specific frustration: no existing app was built for this race format. Not really.

I spent twenty hours trying to stare at the tiny tiny clock in the top of my Apple Watch. It sucked! That and heart rate. That was all I wanted to know. I knew I had to build a better way because I wasn't going to let this be something that makes my next Backyard hard again.

So BackyardPace was built from scratch, specifically for this format.

Questions, ideas, or just want to say hi, reach me at [email protected]

Why this race format needs its own app.

Most endurance sports have a clear start and finish. The question you're answering is: how fast can I go from A to B?

Backyard Ultra asks a different question: how many times can I complete this loop before I stop?

The format creates a set of timing and cognitive demands that don't exist in marathon running, trail ultras, or triathlon. You need to know: when does the next loop start? How long do I have to recover? Am I running this lap faster or slower than my recent average? If I finish this loop in 47 minutes, how long do I actually have to rest?

These questions repeat every hour, for as long as the race lasts. At hour four they're easy. At hour twenty they're not.

The app should reduce the mental load, not add to it.

General running apps record a run. They weren't designed for the loop-based, last-runner-standing structure of Backyard Ultra. BackyardPace was.

How we think about building it.

BackyardPace is built around a small set of principles that shape every decision.

01

The watch is the race engine.

The phone configures. The watch runs. During the race, the phone should be optional, not required.
02

The race screen must stay simple.

A screen that demands decisions costs energy. In the later hours of a Backyard Ultra, that energy has a price. The interface shows what matters and nothing else.
03

All timing derives from absolute time.

BackyardPace uses your scheduled start date and lap duration to calculate everything. No running timers. No timers you can accidentally pause. The app can always determine race state from the clock.
04

Race execution first. Recording second.

Strava, Apple Fitness and Garmin Connect are brilliant at recording and storing runs. BackyardPace is focused on helping you execute a better race. The recording is a by-product, not the purpose.
05

Don't compete with the ecosystem. Complement it.

BackyardPace integrates with Apple Health and Strava directly. It doesn't try to replace those platforms. It fills the gap they can't fill.

Built by a Backyard Ultra runner.

Three years. Three finish lines.

Why this race format needs its own app.

How we think about building it.

The watch is the race engine.

The race screen must stay simple.

All timing derives from absolute time.

Race execution first. Recording second.

Don't compete with the ecosystem. Complement it.

Out now.

Race the next one with it.