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There is No Finish: The Backyard Ultra Story
There is No Finish introduces the exploding world of the Backyard Ultra. Birthed from the high school musings of Lazarus Lake, renowned for the Barkley Marathons, the running event has spread globally—to over eighty countries— with sky-rocketing numbers.
Runners have up to one hour to complete a 4.1-mile lap. At the start of the next hour, again they attempt to complete the same lap. The race keeps going, with no finish, until all except one person gives up. The winner is the last one standing who does one lap more than anyone else.
With participants running until they drop, every race becomes an enthralling adventure with epic stories. Stephen Parker dives deep into the Backyard Ultra scene, running events, crewing for others, and exploring its amazing history. With races in Belgium, the USA, Australia, Sweden, Canada, Finland, South Africa, and many more, the book shares the agony and adrenaline of battles between colourful characters in stunning settings.
If there is no finish, how far can you run?
Runners have up to one hour to complete a 4.1-mile lap. At the start of the next hour, again they attempt to complete the same lap. The race keeps going, with no finish, until all except one person gives up. The winner is the last one standing who does one lap more than anyone else.
With participants running until they drop, every race becomes an enthralling adventure with epic stories. Stephen Parker dives deep into the Backyard Ultra scene, running events, crewing for others, and exploring its amazing history. With races in Belgium, the USA, Australia, Sweden, Canada, Finland, South Africa, and many more, the book shares the agony and adrenaline of battles between colourful characters in stunning settings.
If there is no finish, how far can you run?
- GenresNonfictionAudiobook
220 pages, Paperback
Published October 10, 2024
41 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 7, 2024
I had the pleasure of reading an advance copy of *There Is No Finish: The Backyard Ultra Story*, and it’s a must-read for both fans of endurance sports and those curious about the growing world of backyard ultras and the incredible feats of endurance that have occurred.
Stephen Parker’s research into the origins and evolution of this unique sport is nothing short of impressive. He doesn't just cover the facts- he brings runners stories to life in a way that’s both engaging and awe inspiring. The way he weaves history of the sport, unique stories from some of the legends of the sport and personal narratives together creates a compelling read that keeps you hooked from start to finish. If you're looking for a deep dive into the world of backyard ultras, this book delivers!
November 23, 2024
A fantastic story. I related to it because during my distance training days, many of the challenges of this books happened in my life.
October 28, 2024
There Is No Finish, like the backyard ultra runners it describes, covers a lot of territory. The athletes, the officials, and the audience. The personal and the global. The pleasure and the pain. The past and the possible futures. But best of all is that it offers something to both the experts and the everyday joggers, making this book a great read for experienced backyarders as well as those looking to take their first steps beyond a 5k Parkrun.
November 6, 2024
As a huge fan of backyard ultras, I was thrilled to grab a signed copy of There is no Finish Line at the launch, and it did not disappoint. Stephen Parker captures the spirit of backyard ultra racing perfectly, blending fascinating insights with real stories that go beyond the physical challenge to explore the mental battle each runner faces.
The book gave me a deeper appreciation of the sport's roots and motivations, and I came away inspired to keep pushing my own boundaries. Parker’s storytelling brings to life the essence of backyard ultras—a relentless search for personal limits when there’s truly no finish line in sight. A must-read for anyone intrigued by the endless pursuit of endurance.
The book gave me a deeper appreciation of the sport's roots and motivations, and I came away inspired to keep pushing my own boundaries. Parker’s storytelling brings to life the essence of backyard ultras—a relentless search for personal limits when there’s truly no finish line in sight. A must-read for anyone intrigued by the endless pursuit of endurance.
October 26, 2024
As a runner, I love nothing more than reading about running, and this was a fantastic deep dive into the world of backyard ultras. Not only did it explain the sport really well, but brought the numerous human stories around it to life, in a really absorbing and emotional way. I went into it thinking I would never run a backyard ultra but now I'm reconsidering that. In the least it's inspired me to get back into my long distance training.
January 31, 2025
A Must-Read for Anyone Interested in Backyard Ultras
This book is a fantastic introduction to a truly unique race format. Backyard ultras are one of a kind, and I don’t think there’s another book that covers them in such depth.
As I prepare for my first Backyard ultra in a couple of months, I found this book both informative and inspiring. It not only taught me a lot about the race but also fueled my excitement for the challenge ahead. One of the most enjoyable aspects was reading the stories of runners, some of whom I already knew (by name). Seeing their experiences alongside those of other competitors made the book even more engaging and fun.
At times, the book includes a dense concentration of names and numbers within short paragraphs, which can feel overwhelming. I also wish it had provided more detailed guidance on race preparation, strategy, and crewing. But the threads to follow were there, to be fair.
Every runner should learn about the Backyard ultra format—and this book is a great place to start.
This book is a fantastic introduction to a truly unique race format. Backyard ultras are one of a kind, and I don’t think there’s another book that covers them in such depth.
As I prepare for my first Backyard ultra in a couple of months, I found this book both informative and inspiring. It not only taught me a lot about the race but also fueled my excitement for the challenge ahead. One of the most enjoyable aspects was reading the stories of runners, some of whom I already knew (by name). Seeing their experiences alongside those of other competitors made the book even more engaging and fun.
At times, the book includes a dense concentration of names and numbers within short paragraphs, which can feel overwhelming. I also wish it had provided more detailed guidance on race preparation, strategy, and crewing. But the threads to follow were there, to be fair.
Every runner should learn about the Backyard ultra format—and this book is a great place to start.
June 30, 2025
A great review of the Backyard world, written in a format that is both accessible for newcomers and yet holds fun and worthwhile details for those familiar with the ultra and Backyard world.
Many 'ultra books' tend to have poor writing or editing but Stephen Parker has done a great job to make this highly engaging—perfect audiobook for running or listening to while stretching or doing core work.
Many 'ultra books' tend to have poor writing or editing but Stephen Parker has done a great job to make this highly engaging—perfect audiobook for running or listening to while stretching or doing core work.
November 13, 2025
I am so fascinated by ultra marathons especially backyard ultras. The grit and endurance is incredible! Also loved learning more about Laz and his passion for backyard ultras!
January 15, 2025
This is a fantastic introduction to backyard ultras. As a new runner to ultra marathons and only two backyards under my belt, I found it engaging and informative. The book clearly explains the race format and captures its unique challenges. It also shares the history and highlights the legendary participants, making it an awesome read. The storytelling offers insights into the mental and physical demands while celebrating the camaraderie of the sport. Whether you are new to backyards or experienced, this book will motivate you for your next race. Highly recommend!
August 12, 2025
Our king Laz
November 22, 2024
This book was really good! It’s like iron wars but instead of triathlons it’s about backyard ultras!
October 11, 2024
This is only the third book I've read in full in about 10 years - although it's definitely not the third book I've bought or wanted to read. So it must be good! Since learning about the Barkley Marathons I've loved listening to people's experiences in crazy running adventures of ultras and Backyard Ultras lend themselves to some great stories. This book has stories of the greats of BU as well as those of more 'regular' runners (although still super stars to the likes of me). If you love running or just love being inspired by people doing something different then you'll love this. It's a great read.
October 8, 2024
This incredible book deserves to be shared with the whole world!
Fascinating stories of amazing athletes who dared to take such steps to discover powerful levels in ultra. Fantastic ideas for races and their implementation from the founder of Lazarus Lake and a very deep analysis by the author Stephen Parker about important, interesting and precious moments of those who have gone this way. This book will definitely inspire you to new achievements!
Fascinating stories of amazing athletes who dared to take such steps to discover powerful levels in ultra. Fantastic ideas for races and their implementation from the founder of Lazarus Lake and a very deep analysis by the author Stephen Parker about important, interesting and precious moments of those who have gone this way. This book will definitely inspire you to new achievements!
June 14, 2025
I found the style of writing hard to read. it's taken quite a while to get through. f
Fascinating story. All runners should check it out.
Fascinating story. All runners should check it out.
December 27, 2024
Fantastic read.
February 19, 2025
Great read
Great story of how Backyard ultra was created from Barkley marathon .
Really felt you were there at some of the races.
Well done to writer.
Inspirational stuff as I approach my first 24 hours race
Great story of how Backyard ultra was created from Barkley marathon .
Really felt you were there at some of the races.
Well done to writer.
Inspirational stuff as I approach my first 24 hours race
November 25, 2024
Look, I'm pretty biased as I'm the author. But I quite like it! And to all those here who have written reviews here, at Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DD42GD27/... - or on social media - thanks so much! Every review makes it more likely that others will be able to find the book amidst the crazy algorithms of the internet. I appreciate you all ....
October 21, 2025
edit: I keep thinking about this book and the stories within in. when the time is right, I will finish reading it.
I DNFd after 40%
I really enjoyed parts of those 40% I want3d to finish it. But it was so repeative and laid out in an order my brain just couldn't follow.
I DNFd after 40%
I really enjoyed parts of those 40% I want3d to finish it. But it was so repeative and laid out in an order my brain just couldn't follow.
April 5, 2025
I enjoyed reading this book and I am planning to run a backyard in a month
December 1, 2025
I’m writing this as someone who is not a runner at all - this book makes me want to be a runner. I picked this up because I fell down a rabbit hole wanting to learn information about the Barkley Marathons, which lead to me learning more about Laz. That included his races aside from just the Barkley, which of course is most predominantly Big’s Backyard Ultra.
While I have read books that include information about Big’s (including The Endurance Artist by Jared Beasley - which came out after this in Sept 2025 and mentioned this book as a reference), I loved that the perspective of this wasn’t American. I feel like that really helped me learn information that was completely new to me. I also had no idea the extent of the event(s) that ran during Covid, and I found that quite fascinating.
I absolutely loved reading about the sportsmanship in Backyard Ultra’s. It totally makes sense why they want to encourage each other to keep going, both to push themselves and for total team laps. But reading about actual experiences people literally around the world have had with their competitors was amazing. I also really appreciated the focus the author put on women involved in the sport. The way he talks about women, both as runners and his family, was admirable and I think it’s great that he really highlighted their achievements even in races that had predominantly male runners.
My only real negative is the formatting because there are no quotation marks. Dialogue is put in italics, so it is recognizable, however during back-and-forth conversations I found this to be quite confusing. That being said, after a couple chapters I saw that the audiobook is on Hoopla (& the ebook is on Kindle Unlimited - lot that kind of availability for readers!) and the author narrated it himself. I thought he did an excellent job with the narration, and so this ‘negative’ is not reflected in my rating both because it’s obviously not prevalent in the audiobook + it really just is a personal preference.
I’ve already added the physical copy of this book to my Christmas wishlist because I’m sure I will want to reread it, and it totally deserves a spot on my shelves. And I genuinely mean what I said earlier, I know of local parkrun events to me and seeing that mentioned in this had me looking up ‘couch to 5k’ routines with the goal of joining in on a parkrun one weekend. Let’s start small.
While I have read books that include information about Big’s (including The Endurance Artist by Jared Beasley - which came out after this in Sept 2025 and mentioned this book as a reference), I loved that the perspective of this wasn’t American. I feel like that really helped me learn information that was completely new to me. I also had no idea the extent of the event(s) that ran during Covid, and I found that quite fascinating.
I absolutely loved reading about the sportsmanship in Backyard Ultra’s. It totally makes sense why they want to encourage each other to keep going, both to push themselves and for total team laps. But reading about actual experiences people literally around the world have had with their competitors was amazing. I also really appreciated the focus the author put on women involved in the sport. The way he talks about women, both as runners and his family, was admirable and I think it’s great that he really highlighted their achievements even in races that had predominantly male runners.
My only real negative is the formatting because there are no quotation marks. Dialogue is put in italics, so it is recognizable, however during back-and-forth conversations I found this to be quite confusing. That being said, after a couple chapters I saw that the audiobook is on Hoopla (& the ebook is on Kindle Unlimited - lot that kind of availability for readers!) and the author narrated it himself. I thought he did an excellent job with the narration, and so this ‘negative’ is not reflected in my rating both because it’s obviously not prevalent in the audiobook + it really just is a personal preference.
I’ve already added the physical copy of this book to my Christmas wishlist because I’m sure I will want to reread it, and it totally deserves a spot on my shelves. And I genuinely mean what I said earlier, I know of local parkrun events to me and seeing that mentioned in this had me looking up ‘couch to 5k’ routines with the goal of joining in on a parkrun one weekend. Let’s start small.
November 7, 2025
Fantastic! We get a mix of first hand experiences, retelling of events, data for days, and a neat history of Laz and his crazy inventions in race direction.As a runner this was great 😃👍
Sometimes it feels like it's dragging on forever, recounting in excruciating detail some of the masters of Backyard ultra running. Sometimes you wonder if it will ever end, the in depth data and tales... but isn't that exactly mirroring how the athletes are competing in these unbelievable events??
Inspiring, historically interesting, and a great experience to dive into this wild adventure that is the runners and world of the Backyard Ultra.
I will keep many of these stories and athletes in my mind as I run my first next year (very slowly and without nearly as much athleticism as these warriors).
Thank you to the author for compiling the data, history, and immersive stories! I learned a lot.
Sometimes it feels like it's dragging on forever, recounting in excruciating detail some of the masters of Backyard ultra running. Sometimes you wonder if it will ever end, the in depth data and tales... but isn't that exactly mirroring how the athletes are competing in these unbelievable events??
Inspiring, historically interesting, and a great experience to dive into this wild adventure that is the runners and world of the Backyard Ultra.
I will keep many of these stories and athletes in my mind as I run my first next year (very slowly and without nearly as much athleticism as these warriors).
Thank you to the author for compiling the data, history, and immersive stories! I learned a lot.
October 14, 2024
As an athlete myself, and one that has raced in dozens of Marathons, Triathlons and cycling events, I can appreciate the grit and grinding this story shares and brings to life.
As a bystander, I can also appreciate the way the book chronicles the adventures of the race from a small, local event, to one that is recognized around the world.
One can easily feel the passion, heartaches and triumphs of the participants - those who fail as well as those who succeed.
If you need a jolt of inspiration, or a kick in the butt to get your bum off the sofa, or are happy to celebrate the determination of others, then this book is worth a read.
As a bystander, I can also appreciate the way the book chronicles the adventures of the race from a small, local event, to one that is recognized around the world.
One can easily feel the passion, heartaches and triumphs of the participants - those who fail as well as those who succeed.
If you need a jolt of inspiration, or a kick in the butt to get your bum off the sofa, or are happy to celebrate the determination of others, then this book is worth a read.
January 2, 2025
This book is a page-turner, in part because it's a bunch of different books in one. It's a mini-biography of Laz and all the events he's created. It's a history of the Backyard Ultra format. It's a couple of race reports from the author's own experiences. It's a race recap of the most important international competitions with ultra-mini-bios of some of the key names in the sport. It's a story of what happened curing COVID. And somehow it all works.
It's hard to read this book and not immediately want to sign up for a Backyard Ultra. In the middle of reading I went out and ran 4.167 miles myself!
Props to Stephen for self-publishing this!
It's hard to read this book and not immediately want to sign up for a Backyard Ultra. In the middle of reading I went out and ran 4.167 miles myself!
Props to Stephen for self-publishing this!
December 8, 2024
🌟 Just wrapped up "There is no Finish," an incredible story by a local Brisbane author that dives into the birth and journey of Backyard Ultra events! It was such an exhilarating read that I even started mapping out my own "yard" in the neighborhood! 😂
If you're into Backyard Ultras, this book is a must-read! Packed with healthy tips and valuable lessons, you'll find it hard to put down. Grab your copy and get ready to be inspired! 📚💪
If you're into Backyard Ultras, this book is a must-read! Packed with healthy tips and valuable lessons, you'll find it hard to put down. Grab your copy and get ready to be inspired! 📚💪
October 27, 2025
Started of very well, some nice history and backstories of the stars of the sport. At the end it felt way too biased towards the Australian side of things as the author is Australian. Also when talking about his own experiences the author sounded like such a victim with lots of excuses and whatnots. That was my experience when reading it. Overall still a worthwhile read, made me want to do a backyard for sure.
November 5, 2024
Whether you’re new to running or a trail weary ultra runner, this book is a great read. Supremely well written, it takes you through the story of the backyard ultra from its relatively small inception, through its seemingly exponential growth in popularity, to the popular event it is today - with some fascinating personal experiences from the author along the way.
June 28, 2025
I never would imagine I'd describe a running book as 'gripping', especially one where I know the subject matter and the stories contained so well, but truly this book is! I could not put it down! Stephen's storytelling is sublime and I would recommend this book to runners and non runners alike as it's such a fascinating insight into the crazy world of backyard ultras.
October 25, 2025
I am not a runner in any way shape or form and decided to read this book as I found the idea of a backyard ultra interesting. I was quickly sucked into that world and even watched the live of the 2025 world champions over 5 days! The whole has made me wonder what my body and mind could achieve if pushed to limits like in the ultras. Maybe one day I will give one a try.
July 31, 2025
Fun read, wish it was longer. An all-encompassing look at one of the most interesting and unique events in recent history. Also, very enjoyable to read about a West Australian being one of the best in the world at it.
May 22, 2025
Terrible book, listened on the plane and all today. Never wanted a book to end sooner.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews