Le Dernier Survivant

Here’s a race from Neuchâtel, Switzerland, whose very name is a warning! “The last survivor,” is a race that the organization describes as “the most ruthless race of the season.” And, just in case you didn’t suffer enough the first time, there are now two during the year: one race in March and one in May. 

The format is similar to that of the iconic Backyard Ultra. Runners set off at dawn on a 4 km, 300m loop that must be run in 30 minutes or less. If you don’t make the cut-off then you are eliminated from the race. The event has capped the number of loops runners can complete at 24. If you complete all 24 you would have run about 96 km with over 7000m in 12 hours or less. In the event that more than one runner completes the 24th loop, the winner is the one who finishes first.