Spearfish, South Dakota · Saturday, September 12, 2026
The Black Hills Backyard Ultra is a backyard ultra and ultra event held on Saturday, September 12, 2026. It is located at Tinton Road Fs 134 in Spearfish, South Dakota.
Leading Ladies & Dakota Spirit Marathon, Half Marathon, Relay & 10K
August 23rd,2026
What started out as a Women’s Marathon is now open to all but let’s face it; the women, in my opinion, are still in charge!
Picture this: a perfect place, a perfect pace, a perfect race…Knowing a downhill marathon is about speed, and that it’s going to be a fast run, I still encourage you to take the time to look around and savor the unique beauty only a Black Hills of South Dakota Marathon can provide.
The best the Black Hills of Wyoming and South Dakota have to offer - Almost entirely downhill except for one tough hill from mile 2.00 to 2.56 miles with 169 ft gain. First 12 miles from Cement Ridge to Savoy are on very runnable improved gravel roads, covers scenic mountain meadows, valleys and canyons, and drops 1,606 ft. You will pass the winter film site for “Dances with Wolves” at mile 9.35! The remaining 14 miles is hardtop and descends Spearfish Canyon Hwy (Rt 14A, a National Scenic Byway) to Spearfish, a route shared by the Leading Ladies Marathon and a drop of another 1,364 ft. This extremely fast course will be 1 of only 2 USATF Certified Courses (=Boston Qualifying Course) in Wyoming and it counts for either Wyoming or South Dakota – Your Choice!
BLACK HILLS VETERAN’S HONOR MARCH AND MARATHON
The Black Hills Veteran’s Honor March was conceived in 2002 as a way to honor the sacrifices of the nation’s servicemen and women. The 26.2-mile march takes place in the picturesque Black Hills National Forest on the Mickelson Trail. The March is held on a weekend at the end of September.
The March, which is conducted under the auspices of the South Dakota National Guard Enlisted Association (SDNGEA), grew out of an idea that originated from some South Dakota Army National Guard soldiers who had participated in the Bataan Memorial Death March. It was during the long ride home from White Sands, New Mexico that the idea of a commemorative march could be held to honor all Veterans and that the Black Hills would be a perfect place to hold such an event. Since the Bataan Memorial Death March takes place in late March or April, the consensus was that this new event should be held later in the year.
On September 21, 2002, seven members of the Army National Guard traveled to Deadwood, SD, and set out to reconnoiter the proposed march route and establish sites for water points, rest stops, and lodging requirements. Ted Deloy, Michael Jones, Matt Lacroix, Ben Lamp, Jeff Nord, Ben Smetana, and Mark Thomas were members of the recon team and laid the foundation for this event. The route today closely matches the original route from Rochford to Deadwood, the only change being the decision to end at the Rodeo grounds as compared to main street Deadwood.
After completing the dry run in September 2002, the marchers compiled notes and ideas. Due to mobilization in 2003, the idea had to wait to be presented to the SDNGEA at the state conference in April 2004. The decision was made to have the inaugural march start in September 2004.
Since its inception, the memorial march has grown to hundreds of marchers from across the United States. Events are offered in Team Military and Civilian, Individual Military and Civilian, Heavy Military (with a 35lb Rucksack), Marathon, Mini-March, Team Mini-March, and now 110 Mile Endurance March.