The rules are simple: Runners start on the hour. When they complete their 6.71-kilometer “yard,” the rest of the hour is spent eating, sleeping and preparing in whatever other ways they see fit until the start of the next hour when they must do it again.
Run quickly and you have more time for recovery but risk burning out early; run slowly and you conserve energy but sacrifice recovery time.
It’s a straightforward contest with one major catch: No one knows how many yards runners will have to complete to win, and hundreds of athletes are trying to outlast each other across the globe all at the same time. If a participant is unable to carry on, even after running hundreds of kilometers for more than 48 hours straight, they are officially recorded as “Did Not Finish.” Once all but one runner remains, they must complete one final yard to claim victory.