Qualifying for the NZ Backyard Team

Selection criteria & process for the NZ Backyard Ultra team

• The team consists of 15 spots for the Satellite World Team Championships. bigsbackyardultra.com+1

• Of these 15: 3 spots are reserved for “Silver Ticket” event winners. hisandhersevents.co.nz+1

• The remaining 12 spots are filled from the “at large” list of top yards (laps) achieved by eligible New Zealand runners during a qualifying period. bigsbackyardultra.com+1

• Qualifying events include sanctioned local Backyard Ultra race events where laps are counted toward the national ranking. Highland Events+1

• Eligibility: Must be a NZ permanent resident (or presumably NZ citizen) and run as NZ for nationality. bigsbackyardultra.com

What You Need to Do – Step-by-Step

1. Meet Eligibility & Entry

• Ensure you are entered and racing in qualifying Backyard Ultra events (in NZ) that count toward the NZ team.

• Confirm that you are registered with NZ as your nationality for those events.

• Make sure you’re eligible (NZ citizen/resident) and that the event recognises you as a NZ entrant.

2. Build a High “Yard” (Lap) Count

• Because many spots are awarded via the “at large” list, you’ll need to accumulate a high number of laps in the qualifying period.

• For example: at one event the “magic number” to get onto the list was around 49 laps as of Nov 2024. hisandhersevents.co.nz+1

3. Aim to Win a “Silver Ticket” Event (if possible)

• One way to guarantee a spot is by winning a Silver Ticket designated Backyard Ultra event. Pigs Backyard Ultra+1

• If you can target one of those and win it, you’d secure one of the reserved spots.

• Even if you don’t win, strong performance will help bolster your “at large” ranking. 

Note: The Wild West Backyard Ultra is not a 'silver ticket' event *