Elm Creek Backyard Ultra

☀️ Summer is officially here and we just want to remind everyone: safety first.

Flip flops are a perfectly acceptable post-race shoe. They are not, however, the recommended footwear for bike trail lead out rides.

As we head into the summer season, please wear appropriate footwear, stay hydrated, and maybe let someone else hold the bike.

Happy summer from all of us at Elm Creek Backyard Ultra.

Stay safe out there — we need you at the start line in 2027. 😄

How He Fueled It

Early miles: pasta, rice, PB&Js. As the hours stacked up, he shifted to fruits, mashed potatoes, applesauce, gels, and Tailwind every loop. The goal was always simple — get something in, never fall behind on calories. The unexpected hero of the weekend? Eggo waffles at the aid station Saturday morning. Magic, he called them. He's not wrong.

What He Carries Forward

Tanner is heading to Superior 100 in September with an FKT attempt in the works before that. He knows he's physically capable of more — that part is settled. The next frontier is the mental side.

Loop 24 in three words: Jobs not done.

He'll be back in 2027. No question.

4/4

The People Who Showed Up

This is where Tanner's race becomes something different. His wife, kids, and parents were there throughout. His buddy Drake held down the overnight shift when most people had gone home to sleep. Then 30 to 50 friends from the gym and from life cycled through — some for one loop, some for six.

At no point did he feel alone.

On the course, he made it a point every loop to connect with someone: James, Garrett, Luke, Ryan, Aaron, Eric, Marcus, Kenzie — the names changed, but the thread was the same. Community as fuel. Connection as forward momentum.

On loop 25, his crew reminded him of his mantra — something Tanner is open about as part of his recovery from addiction: "The pain I currently feel while racing transcends any and all pain during addiction." That kept him moving when nothing else could.

And around loop 18, he spotted a runner at the beach turning back. He spent a moment with them. They went back out. That was his highest moment of the entire race — not a personal milestone.

Someone else's.

3/4

Getting Through It

Loops 5–7 nearly derailed everything. Brutal stomach issues in the early hours — the kind that bring physical suffering and mental chaos together at the same time. He slowed down, problem solved, and clawed his way back to the plan. That's the thing about a backyard ultra that doesn't show up in the recap posts: the low can come early and ugly, before the race even really starts. For Tanner, the mental pivot point is always midnight. Once the clock hits 12am, something shifts. He enjoys night running. He found a groove and locked in. Crossing 100 miles last year gave him a rush — and an out. This year he crossed it and went straight to his tent to reset.

Another loop was coming. The job wasn't done.

2/4

1/4

Meet Nicholas Steel. Riverside, CA. 25 loops. 31st hundred. Spikey made the trip too.

Nick found Elm Creek through Ultra Running Magazine and showed up with 30 completed 100-mile races already under his belt. The baseline goal, as always, was 100 miles — because for Nick, that's where the floor is.

The first 10 yards were pure joy — frolicking around the course, feeling good, soaking it in. Then the IT band flared up. Yard 20 brought his slowest loop, an emergency mid-course detour into the woods, and the real question: how much further do you push it when the next 100-miler is six days away?

The answer was 25 yards. He hit 100 miles, checked the box, and made the smart call. "I could've completed another yard or maybe 20, but it came down to how much more injury do I want to cause. 100 miles was the baseline goal — we achieved it."

When things got tough out there, Spikey came out on course. Follow the journey

Matt Lamos was the unexpected anchor — carrying Nick through a lot of the yards and delivering the line that cut through the noise: "You've already proved you can run far. Hit 100 miles, check off that box, and recover for the next." His mom, dad, and Eva kept things running at camp. In a backyard format, he'll tell you — you can't go far without your crew.

His advice: "Toe that start line no matter what, every hour. Once the bell rings and you're out on course, decide then. But you're already out there — you may as well finish it."

Out of 31 attempts at 100 miles, he's finished every single one. Officially or unofficially.

See you in 2027, Nick.

📸 Photos by Eva Romsdahl ()

Elm Creek and Beyond

One of the small moments that meant the most all weekend was when the race photographer caught the back of his shirt.

The words printed on it: "You don't have to move fast to move forward. You just have to start."

Superior 100 is on the calendar — and by the sound of it, there will be some familiar faces on that start line.

Elm Creek 2027?

He answered it the only way that made sense: "Are geese a runner's natural enemy?"

We'll take that as a yes.

7/7
|

facebook.com/matthewlamos

facebook.com/share/17V9xKsW33/

What He Wants His Kids to Know

Matt has three kids — Maddy, Aiden, and Lilly — with another on the way. He thinks about them during every race.

"I always want them to know I'm doing things that are incredibly hard so they know they can do hard things too. Mostly because life itself is hard sometimes."

That's not a running philosophy. That's a parenting one.

If he can train outside of family time, stay committed, and hit goals that once felt impossible — he hopes they take something away from that. And when he crossed that line on yard 25, the first thing he did was hug his wife and the newest family member she's carrying.

6/7

|

facebook.com/matthewlamos

facebook.com/share/17V9xKsW33/

Community

Matt has met and stayed connected with more people from Elm Creek than from any other race.
He's quick to say it.

A shoutout he didn't want to skip: Nick Steel and his family. Since Elm Creek last year, they've gotten to know each other well. "What a great family to be leading the ultra community right now." On the course this year, the random mid-race planking photo with Nick might be one of his favorite memories of the weekend.

He also noted what it meant to be part of the largest group of 100-milers in the race's history. Knowing Elm Creek keeps leveling up year after year, with directors who take time to genuinely know their runners — that's what makes it feel like family.

5/7

|

facebook.com/matthewlamos

facebook.com/share/17V9xKsW33/

The People

This is a family operation, and it shows.

His wife Alex has been to almost every ultra he's run. She doesn't run herself, but she's helped build Down With Running from the beginning and texts him throughout every race to tell him how proud she is. She was also 10 weeks pregnant on race weekend.

His sister and brother-in-law went all-in. They rotated sleep through the night, always had what he texted them during the loop ready when he got back, and once moved his chair closer to the start line so he didn't have to walk back to the tent. On yard 17, around 5am, Matt flexed on the other crews — his family was bringing him a Croissan'wich from Burger King. He made some friends with that one.

His parents were there too, celebrating their anniversary during the race. His dad ran three 5Ks last year. Even if they're still a little confused about the whole ultra thing, they show up.

And then there were the kids at the start and finish area — endless high fives, every single loop. He knew his family would carry him. He didn't expect how much those kids would.

4/7

|

facebook.com/matthewlamos

facebook.com/share/17V9xKsW33/