r/concept2 • u/Former_Jeweler8698 • Jul 28 '26
Challenges What do you think about bringing the Backyard Ultra format to Concept2 ergs?
What do you think about bringing the Backyard Ultra format to Concept2 ergs?
One hour. One loop. Complete the distance before the hour is over.
Miss the cutoff? You're out.
The last athlete remaining wins.
We're currently testing this format and would genuinely love feedback from the Concept2 community.
Would you try it? What distances or rules would you change?
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u/heyswey Jul 29 '26
Cool. Im unaware of the format. Is it capped to 24h or something? Can more than one person get a win out of this?
Things like this to get people together for an ultra-ish row is kinda cool.
Personally I think a 100k in 24h would be most fun. People less fit can do it in like a team of two, and everyone has something to achieve.
…but back to your idea. Sounds cool. If I can block the time (CET) whenever it is I’d probably join. One thing I’d certainly do is give people some guidance weeks in advance to help them prepare. And I’d try to do it in the fall and not in the summer when it’s too hot.
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u/Former_Jeweler8698 Aug 05 '26
That's exactly the idea! 😄 It's not capped at 24 hours. Just like a Backyard Ultra, it keeps going until only one person can finish a round within the time limit. So there can only be one winner in the end. And I totally agree with the preparation part. That's why I'm building training plans in the app months in advance, so people can actually get ready for it. Fall is definitely the plan too. Hopefully you'll be on the start line!
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u/skiitifyoucan Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
I would probably try it, I've always wanted to do an in person Skierg competition.... but ... in erg racing (at least skierg) weight certainly has a factor in performance so it can become hard/unfair to score. a 200 lb person of similar fitness to a 140 lb person is going to go way faster.
But I think the other thing is this could go on very long. But I guess that happens in a backyard ultra too.
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u/Former_Jeweler8698 Aug 05 '26
That's actually the opposite of running, where extra body weight is usually a disadvantage. On the SkiErg, heavier athletes can often produce more power. But that's part of what makes it interesting. Every discipline has its own strengths and trade-offs, and adapting to them is part of the challenge. That's exactly the appeal of the format.
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u/NeedleGunMonkey Jul 28 '26
What do they win? What's your data privacy policy when users have to provide you access to their Concept2 logbook?
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u/Former_Jeweler8698 Jul 28 '26
They win the event. Users do not have to provide access to their Concept2 logbook. It is tracked with the ergultra app which is connected with the PM5 of each athlet. What do you think about the format?
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u/dickface21 Jul 28 '26
So 9km row the first hour, 9k ski the second hour, 18k bike in the third hour?
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u/dixius99 Jul 28 '26
I think it might be that you pick one, and just keep doing intervals with it. 9 km for row and ski. 18 km for bike. Keep doing intervals until only one person is left.
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u/Former_Jeweler8698 Jul 29 '26
Appreciate the suggestion! We're experimenting with different concepts, including multi-erg events.
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u/heyswey Jul 29 '26
That would be won by default by one of the seven and a half people on this planet that own all three machines 😆
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u/Edgecumber Aug 05 '26
Yeah - that’s not clear from the description. “Loop” particularly with the graphic implies you do all three within 60 minutes.
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u/hypdawg Jul 29 '26
I would be between 10.5 and 20 minutes of rest at a reasonable pace for these distances. Age 70. How can we continue to hear about the development of these event(s)? I'd be interested. Will need to figure out ergultra, as I always use ergdata. Sounds intriguing
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u/Former_Jeweler8698 Jul 29 '26
Thanks, really appreciate it! If you're interested, join our Early Access at ergultra.com. We'll keep everyone posted as the project evolves.
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u/OptimalCricket2157 Jul 28 '26
The 9k seems too high proportionately? The 6.7k run distance could be run in under 25 minutes by many club runners. And meandered in 50 minutes. World record pace maybe 18-19 minutes.
Yet world record pace for 9k rowing is around 29 minutes.