Baton Rouge runs all night

Apparently, there's a new running craze: running 4.167 miles every hour on the hour until only one person is left standing. Who knew runners chasing a race with no finish line would be a thing?

Welcome to the world of the backyard ultramarathon.

The format is booming, according to The New York Times. A race outside Indianapolis drew 15 runners in 2022 and 228 this year. More than 700 are on the calendar for the coming year. The field included a 12-year-old who ran 41 miles and a 65-year-old who ran 66.

Why it matters: Baton Rouge could host a similar event that's less about competition and more about community, having some fun and creating something that's uniquely Baton Rouge.

The premise: Finish the 4.167-mile loop early and kick back and hydrate until the next hour begins. Fail to finish and you're out. Real races typically top 100 miles and run for days.

Here in the real world: People have jobs—and lives—so anything beyond a Friday night-to-Sunday night event isn't practical. But how about 24 hours? Anyone who finishes the 100 miles, one hourly lap at a time, is declared a winner.

That makes it less about competing and more about community: tents, chairs, coolers and strangers who are friends by lap 10. It's fun for anyone who considers 100 miles fun.

Picture it. Friday, 6 p.m., the first horn. By midnight the tents glow. At 3 a.m., headlamps bob down the path while someone naps in a camp chair. By Saturday afternoon, the grill's going and the finishers are counting laps.

The proposal: Highland Road Park already hosts cross-country meets for LSU and area high schools, and a proper loop could easily be crafted there. A course linking City-Brooks Park and University Lakes works too. People run and walk there every day.

The closest local comp is Lafayette's overnight ultra at Acadiana Park, but that's a timed race, not a backyard format.

The Big Picture: Baton Rouge has done this before. The Fat Boy 5K started here, attracts 1,000-plus runners and now runs in other cities. A 24-hour backyard ultra is the same spirit with more laps.

The Bottom Line: Pick a park. Draw a loop. Bring the chairs. Just do it.