The backyard ultra format has taken ultrarunning by storm in recent years, and in 2022 the unique approach to racing made its way to the greater Boston Metro area when the Needham Running Club played host to the inaugural Needham Backyard Ultra.

The event will return for a second edition in 2023, albeit with a rebranded name: the MetroWest Backyard Ultra.

Race Directors Bill Gallagher and Kiko Bracker announced the name change and official details last week. The event will take place starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, at the Needham Town Forest in Needham, Mass. It is the same start/finish location as last year’s event, and the course will also be the same with runners taking on a 4.17-mile loop course on singletrack trails in Needham Town Forest and a section of the Needham Rail Trail. The loop will start and finish at the Claxton Field Quarry. A new loop will start on the hour, every hour, until only one runner remains.

The event has a $20 entry fee than can be paid via Venmo (William-Gallagher-40) or Eventbrite.

Twenty-six runners took part in the inaugural race with Daniel Leonard of Arlington, Mass., earning the win after completing 12 loops for 50.04 miles. Molly Karp of Natick, Mass., was the runner-up with 11 loops and 45.87 miles. Gallagher and Bracker are anticipating around 60-80 runners in this year’s field.

For more details about the event, check out the Needham Running Club website.