Ode to Laz Backyard Ultra

Ode to Laz Backyard Ultra is the open-ended last-person-standing race in Holly, Michigan, and the original event in the organizer's Ode to Laz series. Runners complete a 4.167-mile yard every hour until only one competitor can finish another loop.

The course is deliberately less forgiving than a flat speed circuit. Roots, turns and lakeside trail features shape the daytime rhythm before the race moves to a simpler road out-and-back for darkness, rewarding runners who can change pacing and fueling strategies as conditions shift.

The daytime yard runs through woodland around Wildwood and Valley lakes, including trail turns, a stairway and Fisherman's Bridge. The night yard uses a closed park-road out-and-back with rolling hills.

July in southeast Michigan can be warm and humid, with thunderstorms possible. The shaded trail may hold moisture, while overnight road yards usually bring cooler but still muggy conditions.