After two days of nonstop running and pushing the limits of human endurance, Nikolay Hristov once again triumphed as champion. For the second consecutive year, he won the Wolf Backyard Ultra Bulgaria. Not only did he defend his title, but he also set a new impressive record with 26 laps.
An Ultramarathon that Tests Body and Spirit
The only race of its kind in Bulgaria, dedicated to finding the most resilient runner, brought together 59 participants - 44 men and 15 women. Neterra’s engineer, Misho Simeonov, organized the competition, held for the second time on the northwestern slopes of Vitosha Mountain. Runners had to cover a 6.7 km trail repeatedly until only one remained.
The winner, Nikolay Hristov, completed 26 laps, or a total of 174.20 km, with 5,304 meters of elevation gain. He improved his own from last year's result by a remarkable 10 laps and once again proved that physical limits are meant to be broken.
Right behind him were Yosif Bankov with 25 laps (167.5 km) and Kiril Rangelov with 19 laps (127.3 km).
A German Debutant Triumphs in the Women’s Category
The women’s champion, Lea Sabrina Kaufmann from Germany, won the audience’s hearts. Without any prior plans, simply driven by the desire to take on the challenge, she joined the race while on vacation in Bulgaria. Lea received special awards from Neterra for surpassing the achievement of last year’s champion, who had completed 5 laps. Lea finished 15 laps, covering 100.50 km with 3,060 meters of elevation gain, earning the title of “Most Enduring Woman.”
She was followed by Maria Stancheva with 13 laps (87.1 km) and two runners - Elena Koshnicharska and Vyara Peteva - with 11 laps each (73.7 km).
Neterra Employees as Runners and Volunteers
Beyond being a sponsor, Neterra actively joined the race with three employees. Nikolay Dimitrov and Ivan Ivanov finished 5 laps each (33.5 km). Race organizer Misho Simeonov completed 2 laps (13.4 km). Ventsislav Petrov finished 1 lap (6.7 km) and then joined as a volunteer. In total, eight volunteers from the company supported the participants.
Part of the event’s income will be donated to charity.
Wolf Backyard Ultra Bulgaria is part of a global network of more than 400 editions across 40 countries and is establishing itself as one of the toughest and most inspiring sporting events in Bulgaria.
In the world of the Wolf Backyard Ultra, there is no second place - only runners who keep going and those who stop. But every participant, no matter the number of laps, is a winner, because they have overcome their strongest opponent - themselves from yesterday.
Thank you all for the inspiration and motivation. On to new challenges and even bolder dreams!