What does it take to keep going when the race stops being about miles and becomes a battle between your mind and your body?

Levi Yoder knows a thing or two about that.

Levi went from starting his running journey in 2019 to completing his first 100-miler in 2022 and then winning his first backyard ultra and earning a spot at Big’s Backyard Ultra. Since then, he has competed at Big’s three times, including the 2022 World Team Championship, the 2023 Individual Championship, and the 2024 World Team Championship, where he reached an incredible 75 yards and more than 312 miles.

In this episode, Levi takes us inside those three world stage experiences and shares how his approach has evolved, from being completely underprepared for his first backyard to learning how to pace himself, manage the mental highs and lows, fuel, sleep, communicate with his crew, and conserve energy for the long haul.

We talk about:

• How Levi went from a new runner to a 300+ mile backyard ultra athlete
• The biggest lessons he learned from his first backyard
• How his experiences at Big’s Backyard Ultra changed from 2022 to 2024
• Why confidence can sometimes become a liability in a backyard
• Learning to expect the low points and knowing they will pass
• His strategy for caffeine, naps, and sleep during multi-day races
• Why remaining emotionally neutral can be such a powerful skill
• How he uses discomfort in everyday life to prepare mentally for the backyard
• The importance of having a crew who knows you and can make decisions when you're exhausted
• Why his wife and crew are such an important part of his success
• His 2024 Big’s experience and what ultimately took him out at 75 yards
• How he balances pushing his limits with knowing when it's time to stop
• Why he believes there may always be another level to reach

And perhaps most importantly, Levi shares what he believes now that he didn't believe when he started running backyards:

You might be capable of far more than you think you are.

Whether you're training for your first backyard ultra or wondering what it takes to go 100, 200, or 300+ miles, there are plenty of lessons in this conversation you can take into your next race.

Find Levi on Instagram at @way_co_ultra_runner and on Facebook and Strava as Levi Yoder.

👉 Don’t miss the next yard. Hit Follow on The One More Hour Podcast: An Insider’s Guide to Backyard Ultras, Timed Races, and the Ultrarunning Mindset.

⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a quick review. It helps more runners find the show and keep going when they want to stop.

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🎁 Freebie → 5 Mental Traps Backyard Runners Fall Into (and How to Fix Them)

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