The World Backyard Ultra Team Championships kick off October 17, and Team USA is heading to Big’s Backyard in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, to take on the best backyard ultra runners in the world around the world.

In this episode, Jaci breaks down five key factors she’ll be watching as the race unfolds, from pacing restraint and fueling decisions to sleep strategies, team dynamics, and the importance of depth over individual performances. With every yard contributing to the team’s overall result, the question isn’t just who can go the farthest, but how many athletes can keep going when the race gets hard.

Can Team USA put multiple runners over 100 yards? Who will adapt when their plans fall apart? And how will teammates balance individual race strategies with the shared goal of helping the team go as far as possible?

Jaci also explores why the strongest-looking runners early aren’t necessarily the ones who last, why patience is a competitive advantage, and what we can learn by watching the best backyard ultra athletes in the world tackle new challenges.

Whether you're a backyard ultra runner, a fan of the sport, or following Team USA on the road to the World Championships, this episode will help you watch the race with a deeper understanding of the strategy, decision-making, and mental resilience that make backyard ultras so fascinating.

🎧 Catch up on The Road to Big’s, the special series featuring pre-race interviews with members of Team USA.

📺 Follow the Backyard Ultra World Championships live on YouTube starting October 17, and watch the lessons unfold one yard at a time.

👉 Don’t miss the next yard. Hit Follow on The One More Hour Podcast: An Insider’s Guide to Backyard Ultras, Timed Races, and the Ultrarunning Mindset.

⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a quick review. It helps more runners find the show and keep going when they want to stop.

📲 Connect with me on Instagram → @onemorehourpodcast

📩 Got a story about going one more? I’d love to hear it. Email me at → theonemorehourpodcast@gmail.com

🎁 Freebie → 5 Mental Traps Backyard Runners Fall Into (and How to Fix Them)

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