The White River Campground hosted runners from across the country as they tested their endurance at the Prairie on Fire Backyard Ultra this past weekend (Sept. 6 and 7). A total of 172 runners competed in the event. (Richie Hall)
By RICHIE HALL
STRAWTOWN – How long can you go in the prairie?
Runners from across the country put themselves to the test this past weekend (Sept. 6 and 7) as they competed in the Prairie on Fire Backyard Ultra. The event is an endurance test to see how long an athlete can keep running, navigating a 4.167-mile loop around White River Campground during the day and on the 234th Street trail at night.
The competing runners have one hour to finish 4.167 miles, which doesn’t sound that bad – the place is a 14-minute mile. The test comes in the hours afterwards: in order to stay in the race, a runner has to run another loop, every hour, on the hour.
Zach Homol of Brownsburg gets some food early
Sunday (Sept. 7) morning after finishing 75 miles
of the Prairie on Fire Backyard Ultra. (Richie Hall)
The event started in 2022 with seven runners, but has grown exponentially since then. The 2025 edition featured 172 runners. TJ Dailey, race director for Meshingomesia Track Club (the entity that hosts the race), called the growth “unbelievable,” giving credit to the weather, which was perfect for running.
“It’s between 50 and 75 degrees,” said Dailey. “You could not ask for a better scenario than that. So, that’s been a big thing. We’ve had good performances here and then a strong Indiana community and a great runner experience. We really try to focus on runner experience and that’s helped us grow.”
While the majority of the runners were from Indiana, several faraway communities were represented, from Key West, Fla. to Eagle River, Alaska. There was one runner from Ontario.
Several runners are regular ultra-marathoners, including Cameron Balser from Kokomo. Balser ran the perimeter of the entire continental United States, a 294-day journey that begin Oct. 10, 2023 in Cleveland and finished on Aug. 3, 2024. During his run, Balser visited 33 different states, making stops at Niagara Falls, Maine, Key West, Santa Monica, Calif. and the Cascades before returning to Cleveland.
Balser, who ran with a cart behind his back that kept his supplies, called the experience “magical” and “freeing.”
“A lot of times, we see the world from TV,” said Balser. “To see how kind and loving it is, is amazing.”
This year’s top finisher at Prairie on Fire is Jeff Walker from Noblesville. Walker completed 38 loops for a total of 158.346 miles. There was a tie for second place: Westfield’s Abram Rickenberg and Indianapolis’ Angel Soto Lozada both completed 37 loops, or 154.179 miles.
Gracie Bell of Ingalls was the top female finisher. She completed 27 loops, or 112.509 miles. A total of 25 runners completed 24 loops, which gave them 100 miles total.
A complete list of results can be found here: https://ultrasignup.com/m_results_event.aspx?did=123052
