Rockys Backyard Ultra — The III Edition
McLaren Falls, Tauranga · 28 Nov 2026
One loop. Every hour. Until one remains.
How it Works
Each loop is 6.71km. Every hour, on the hour, you must complete a loop and return to basecamp before the next lap begins. Make it back in time and you continue. Miss the cutoff and you’re out. The race ends when only one is left standing. Everyone else is a DNF. It’s simple in format, brutal in execution, and as much mental as physical.
The Course
Nestled in the Tauranga hinterland, McLaren Falls is the kind of place runners dream about. The course winds through native New Zealand bush, past waterfalls, alongside lake edges, and, if you make it far enough, glowworms lighting the trail into the night. Each lap carries 140+ metres of elevation gain.
The Community
Everyone out there is doing the exact same thing you are. Same loop. Same clock. Same internal battle between the part of you that wants to stop and the part that won’t let you.
At the same time, nobody’s really racing each other. It’s you against you.
People come back to Rockys year after year. Not because it gets easier. It doesn’t. They come back because there’s nothing else quite like it: the trails, the atmosphere, the long night hours, the community, and the opportunity to discover how far they can really go.
Self-Supported Event
Rockys is a self-supported event, so bring whatever you need to keep moving.
That said, you won’t be alone. At basecamp between loops you’ll find water, electrolytes, snacks, real food, sponsor-supported goodies, and a warm gathering point between laps.
Between loops, you have whatever time remains in the hour. Some runners pace. Some eat. Some lie on the grass staring at the sky wondering what they’re doing.
Every Entry Includes
Every registered entrant receives the Rockys III Edition Neck Gaiter — a tough, trail-tested buff built for the damp of native bush, the cold of the night hours, and the general indignity of everything a long day on the trails throws at you.
Wear it as a buff, neck tube, sweat rag, dust shield, or blindfold for the moments you’d rather not see the climb ahead.
Limited Entries | Tiered Pricing
Rockys Backyard Ultra III Edition has a capped field. This is not a mass participation event, and it never will be.
The earlier you register, the less you pay.
