Inaugural Day of the Dead edition of the Land of Enchantment Back Yard Ultra 2026

Day of the Dead, Land of Enchantment, Backyard Ultra 2026 Presented by Visit Las Cruces Welcome to the inaugural Day of the Dead edition of the Land of Enchantment Back Yard Ultra, beginning in October 2026. We are incredibly excited and honored to welcome you to our new signature event of the year, with a new host venue rarely used for events. The Prehistoric Trackways National Monument has a network of well-maintained trails, primarily crushed gravel, with some elevation change. This YARD will offer scenic views of the Organ Mountain range and will "simply" test a runner's limits. Do you have enough persistence to push yourself further than you think is possible? Do you have enough persistence to be the Last One Standing? Find out in October 2026. LAST RUNNER STANDING The Day of the Dead Land of Enchantment Backyard Ultra takes place at the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument in Las Cruces, NM, allowing a large area for personal aid setup around the start/finish area, along with campsites and parking. The group area provides an area for runners to set up personal crew spots. The start/finish aid station area will provide porta-pots, hydration (Water and Gatorade), salty-sweet trail snacks, pickles, wraps, and coffee in late-night morning hours. Note: This is a cupless event The Land of Enchantment Backyard is a "last runner standing" format event with a 4.17 mile "yard" starting every hour, on the hour, until there is only one remaining. Standard backyard format rules will apply (see below details). All participants will receive a Land of Enchantment hoodie, a Day of the Dead DNF medal, and fully stocked aid station support. Runners completing 24 yards will receive a 100-mile buckle. Overall, Male and Female awards will be given along with the Fastest yard lap. Backyard Format Rules Each lap will be completed on a 4.167-mile lollipop-style loop within the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument. You can view the course here (please note, this is an approximation of the course, and there may be slight variation for start/finish location Trackways Trail Run 4.2 Miles · Ride with GPS. Exactly one hour after a backyard ultra's first starting time, the competitors run 4.167 miles (6.706 km) with a one-hour window (minimum 14:23 minute per mile) to finish. These laps are repeated hourly. The race is won when a single runner successfully completes a yard alone within the one-hour time limit. In order to remain in the competition, the runners must be in the starting box when the hourly bell sounds. The starting box will be very well marked and flagged off. There will be a warning sound 3, 2, and 1 minutes before the bell. All runners will need to be inside the starting box before the top of each hour. Except for relieving themselves, the runners are not allowed to leave the course. Personal assistance is forbidden on the course, but allowed between the laps. Aids like trekking poles are forbidden. Non-competitors may not be on the course, except to help escort an eliminated runner to safety. There will be an aid station at the start/finish to assist all competitors. Slower runners must allow faster runners to overtake them. You must check out with the Race Director once you cannot complete a yard or decide not to begin the next yard. Please note that we will not be maintaining a waitlist. The race is capped at 100 participants. If you see the participant number is less than 100, there is a spot for you; grab it before it's gone. *Note: Refunds are not allowed for this race. Finish TBD! At the completion of your run, you can pick up your finisher's hoodie and DNF Medal. Southern New Mexico Trail Alliance A portion of each registration will be donated to the Southern New Mexico Trail Alliance. The Southern New Mexico Trail Alliance was formed by hikers, trail runners, and mountain bikers who are enthusiastic about trails and the lands where they exist. This group realized we must maintain and protect what we love, hence, SNMTA was