The Wild West Backyard Ultra

23/09/2026

THRIVE THERAPEUTICS x WILD WEST BACKYARD ULTRA 2027 💚

We’re stoked to have Thrive Therapeutics partnering with the Wild West Backyard Ultra 2027 again after supporting our runners onsite in 2026! 🏃‍♂️

TT offers targeted endurance and recovery therapies designed to help athletes prepare well, perform strong and recover efficiently.

🟢 PRE-EVENT PREPARATION

Available before race week, athletes can book Flowpresso sessions to help prepare the fascia, lymphatic system and nervous system ahead of race day.

Potential benefits include:
• Improved circulation
• Reduced baseline inflammation
• Better sleep and recovery capacity
• Softer fascia + improved mobility
• A calmer, more resilient nervous system

The goal? Arrive at the start line feeling lighter, clearer and ready for the long haul.

🟢 ONSITE SUPPORT

TT will also be providing daytime support at the event, with two therapies available to help runners manage the demands of repeated laps:

✨ Bioptron Hyperlight Therapy
Quick, targeted sessions between laps to support circulation, cellular repair, inflammation management and muscle mobility — helping keep your body responsive as the hours tick by.

✨ Flowpresso 3-in-1 Sports Recovery
For post-race recovery, Flowpresso combines compression, infrared warmth and deep-pressure stimulation to support the fascia and lymphatic system, helping ease that heavy, congested feeling after extreme exertion.

Whether you’re chasing a course record, your first Backyard finish, or simply trying to survive one more lap - recovery matters

📍 Book a pre-event appointment:
🌐 www.thrivetherapeutics.co.nz
📞 Miriam — 021 025 50246

Huge thanks to Thrive Therapeutics for backing our runners and being part of the Wild West community again in 2027! 🤝

Transform your wellness journey in Hokitika with Thrive.

19/09/2026

6 MONTHS TO GO 🌊

We’re officially six months out from the 2027 Wild West Backyard Ultra, and things are moving fast! 🔥

Entries are already exceeding the total number of athletes we had for our inaugural 2026 event, and they’re continuing to climb.

With a capacity of just 150 athletes, we’re expecting this one to fill up 👀

We’re also stoked to have some of our key sponsors back on board for 2027 - thank you for continuing to get behind the Wild West! 🤝

And we’re still looking for a few more businesses and organisations who would like to be part of the event. If you’re interested in sponsorship or partnership opportunities, we’d love to hear from you 👇🏼

📧 [email protected]

Six months. 150 spots. One runner left standing.

See you on the Wild West Coast 🌊

28/08/2026

Very stoked that Kits & Bits are officially sold-out for our 2027 event 🙌🏼 If you are still after a tent - you can join their waitlist!

2027 is going to be big 🫡

With general entries opening today at midday we thought it was worthwhile doing our official WE ARE GOING TO THE WILD WEST BYU 2027 POST with the pretty graphics. We’ve already sold over half our kits (thanks to our AWESOME returning customers - we are stoked!). If you want to take the hassle out of your weekend (and remove any chance of having to clean or dry wet tents and ground mats) then book your event kit at the link in our bio.

This is an awesome event, and will be a great way to kick off the Easter long weekend!

Each kit comes with
1 x 3x3m Gazebo with walls
1 x OZtrail recliner chair
1 x 50L chilli bin
1 x Tarp Floor
1 x 1.2m table
1 x 24 pocket wall hanger

13/08/2026

Hey team 👋🏼 We still have a handful of leftover caps and drink bottles from this year, if you would like to purchase some!

Wild West Caps - $30 💸
Wild West Drink Bottles - $15 💸

Just flick us a message if you would like one, and we will get it to you!

Have seen a few of local runners rocking these caps and they look great 🤩

Hey Runners 👋🏼

Registered athletes - you would have received an email just now about our limited caps available for purchase, so check your inbox 📥

🧢 Price: $30 each
🧢 Quantity: Only 25 available – first in, first served

Reply to your email to grab one! 👏🏼

17/07/2026

With registrations already surpassing our number of runners in 2026, 2027 is going to be huge! Make sure you don’t miss a spot - registration link below 👇🏼

16/06/2026

There’s something pretty special happening on the West Coast next Easter and Rānui is excited to be part of the action as charity partner of the kids race ❤

The Wild West Backyard Ultra returns to the Hokitika Beachfront on 26 March 2027 (that's Easter Weekend) set between the Tasman Sea and the Southern Alps - it doesn't get much more gorgeous than that!

Runners take on a 6.7km loop on the hour, every hour - continuing for as long as they can. It’s simple in format, but powerful in spirit… and it all comes down to one last runner standing.

What makes this event even more meaningful is the difference it creates. Every step taken helps support families staying at Rānui providing a home-away-from-home when it’s needed most.

Alongside the main event, the Kids Run (1km or 1 mile) is open to tamariki of all ages, with entry by donation every contribution going directly to support Rānui families.

A beautiful mix of community, challenge and generosity - we’d love for you to be part of it. 👉 Visit The Wild West Backyard Ultra to find out more and sign up https://www.wildwestbyu.nz/

16/06/2026

We were featured in the local newspaper last week! 📰🙌

We’re also excited to share that we’re officially halfway to capacity for entries already 🫣

We’re incredibly grateful for the support so far — especially from our local community. It’s awesome to see so many West Coasters getting behind this event once again ❤️

If you have any questions about the event, feel free to get in touch:

📧 [email protected]

We’re also always keen to hear from anyone interested in supporting the event through volunteering or sponsorship. We’d love to chat! 🙌🏼

Thank you for being part of the Wild West Backyard Ultra journey - it’s shaping up to be another epic weekend on the West Coast 🌊

15/06/2026

We are thrilled to announce Kinetrix Performance coming on board as a nutrition sponsor for the 2027 Wild West Backyard Ultra 🤠

http://www.kinetrixperformance.com/

Born in Tasman, New Zealand, Kinetrix is performance fuel for athletes who don’t back off when the pressure builds.

Powered by honeydew honey sourced from Aotearoa’s native forests, our energy gels deliver steady, sustained energy without the harsh spikes and crashes of traditional gels.

Built by athletes and backed by science, Kinetrix is designed for long rides, hard training, and real competition… when reliable fuel matters most.

Registered for our 2027 event? Keep an eye on your inbox - we have a special discount code coming your way 👀

14/06/2026

After an influx of entries yesterday, following our opening to the public - we are already almost half-way through our capacity for the 2027 event!

Get in quick to secure your spot - link to registration form below 👇🏼

Come and experience New Zealand’s most scenic Backyard Ultra, running between the ocean and the mountains, on the wild West Coast!

14/06/2026

With general entries opening today at midday we thought it was worthwhile doing our official WE ARE GOING TO THE WILD WEST BYU 2027 POST with the pretty graphics. We’ve already sold over half our kits (thanks to our AWESOME returning customers - we are stoked!). If you want to take the hassle out of your weekend (and remove any chance of having to clean or dry wet tents and ground mats) then book your event kit at the link in our bio.

This is an awesome event, and will be a great way to kick off the Easter long weekend!

Each kit comes with
1 x 3x3m Gazebo with walls
1 x OZtrail recliner chair
1 x 50L chilli bin
1 x Tarp Floor
1 x 1.2m table
1 x 24 pocket wall hanger