What is the appeal of the backyard ultra?

The backyard ultra is a race that sees people run 4.16 miles on the hour, every hour until one is left standing.

It is a concept that started in America, created by endurance race designer Lazarus Lake, the same man behind the world-renowned Barkley marathons.

His event - Big's Backyard Ultra - is the crème de la crème, attracting the best in the game, and requires qualification to compete.

Backyard ultras have continued to pop up on UK soil in recent years, from London to Manchester, Stafford to Scotland. Among those most recently announced is an event in Shropshire.

So what exactly is the appeal of pushing beyond your limits and continuing to run until you physically no longer can?

James Morgan, 45, was the first to buy a ticket to Shropshire's backyard ultra and has never completed one before.

He began running in 2013 to help with his mental health and has since discovered a love for long-distance running, completing 55 marathons.

The upcoming race, held at the West Mid Showground in Shrewsbury in April 2027, is something he has had his eye on for a while.

"I really like the concept of it, the structure of it - the laps and the last person standing," he said. "It's really simple, yet highly challenging.

"When you get into the long distances... it becomes a battle against you, against your brain."

Morgan said: "It transcends running, to be honest, ultra-distance running.

"It's all about getting through in any way, shape, or form. It's a really good metaphor for life."

He said the appeal of the backyard event was the "novelty factor" and the challenge.

"It's not about how fast you go, it's about how long you can maintain moving forward," he said.

"I think people want to just test themselves in an environment where they can just keep going and seeing how long that they can cope for."

In a conversation about the appeal of backyard ultras, it would be wrong not to talk to Sarah Perry.

A teacher from Cumbria, Perry, 35, is the current women's world record holder for backyard ultra.

Most recently, she represented Team UK at the Backyard World Championships in the UK, where her team finished fifth out of 69.

At lap 76, Sarah was one of only two women still standing from a field of 990 runners.

Perry said before her first time, she was intrigued by the "crazy" format of them.

"I just felt like it fitted my skill set - maybe I'm not the fastest runner, but I have endurance and I think I'm quite strong-minded and quite stubborn.

"I also was interested in the fact that you line up against the men... there's not really any other running race where you have that opportunity."

She said the appeal for the backyard ultra is inclusivity.

"You can maybe run a distance PB," she said. "It's a supported and supportive environment, you'll have a checkpoint every 4.16 miles, there's no worry about getting lost.

"It attracts people who really want to test their limits."

Perry added she had noticed the races become "huge" in the UK in the last 12 months.

"I think it's a great format to get involved in," she said.

"I'm excited to see where it goes, and I'm always intrigued to see what the limits actually are."

Peter Metcalfe is part of the team at Run the Distance - the company behind Shropshire's backyard ultra.

It was demand from runners that prompted them to put the race on.

"I got such a response, not from just the ultra community, but just from the normal general public who just want to have a go," he said.

"I thought it'd be quite niche - the ex-Marine type, the SAS guys... but it's just the average person who wants to just see how far they can get."

He believes the draw to the event is the social aspect, as well as the challenge.

"There's always going to be people around, you're going to be going back to base camp where there's going to be first-aiders... and maybe your support team."

"It is extreme, but it's community-based.

"People are still buying tickets - so much so that I'm thinking: 'Should I do another one in a different area?'

"I'm looking at Anglesey or maybe Herefordshire."

Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.