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Grind on the Grid Backyard Ultra

Course record: 33 yards (Chris Luebke, 2025).

In the Land Ordinance of 1785 Congress mandated that no land outside existing states could be sold, distributed, or opened for settlement until it was surveyed; typically into 1 mile square sections. These 1 mile squares were useful, as they came to 640 acres. A handy number, as then it could be subdivided into even acres (1/4 section = 160 acres,) all the way down to 4 acres. The section also turns out to be the perfect measurement for organizing a backyard ultra. Four 1 mile straightaways with a short connection to the start/finish constituting a single yard. Inspired by this pure yard, we i…

Past editions