Phil Gore Completes 152-Hour Backyard Ultra in Perth

Australian endurance athlete Phil Gore completed 152 consecutive hours of backyard ultra running in a solo challenge near Perth, stopping during his attempt at a 153rd lap. The Guardian reported that the 40-year-old covered a 6.71-kilometre course at the start of every hour for six days and eight hours at Armadale Soccer Club in Forrestdale.

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The challenge followed the standard rhythm of a backyard ultra: runners must finish one 6.71km lap within an hour and return to the start line when the next hour begins. Any time left after a lap can be used for food, treatment, equipment changes or sleep. A competitor who fails to finish within the hour is eliminated, and a normal race continues until only one runner remains.

Gore called his solo attempt Project 168 because his target was a full week of hourly laps. According to The Guardian, he had set a 119-hour world record at Dead Cow Gully in 2025 but believed he could go farther. This project removed the usual requirement to stop after the second-last runner withdrew, allowing Gore to test his own limit without another competitor determining the finish.

The attempt ended after Gore narrowly completed lap 152 in 58 minutes, his slowest finished circuit. He left again two minutes later for lap 153 but stopped about 25 minutes into it after determining that he could no longer maintain the pace needed to finish inside the hour. His crew then collected him from the course. The Guardian described the 152-hour effort as an unofficial record for the longest backyard ultra.

Rest was compressed into short windows between laps. Gore said he could sleep for about 15 minutes before his crew woke him, while his food included sweets, cereal, meat pies, microwave meals and cheeseburgers. Those breaks also had to accommodate toilet visits, massages and changes of gear before the next starting bell.

The live-streamed effort raised $285,000 for Telethon, which supports medical research and health services for children in Western Australia. Gore told The Guardian that the challenge had taken more out of him than previous events and that he had used crutches during the first two days of recovery. He said he had discussed what went wrong with his doctor and physiotherapist and had a plan aimed at preventing the same problem in a future race.