Article via Tarkine Athletics
In the realm of ultra-distance running, raw speed is but one variable. Endurance events, especially the Backyard Ultra format, push athletes beyond conventional limits, turning rest strategies and consistency into critical determinants of success. Phil Gore’s record-breaking 119-loop feat (approx. ~800 km) serves as a perfect case study to juxtapose human endurance tactics against the biological constraints of various apex land animals.
Methodology and Simulation Parameters
To rigorously quantify and visualize performance differences, we modeled hour-by-hour distance trajectories for Phil Gore and ten representative terrestrial species. Phil’s parameters:
– Lap distance: 6.7 km (Backyard Ultra standard)
– Running interval: approx. 45 minutes (0.75 h) at an effective speed of 8.93 km/h
– Rest interval: approx. 15 minutes (0.25 h)
– Total duration: 119 hours (complete laps)
Animal parameters include: sustainable speed (km/h), maximum continuous run time (hours), and mandatory rest duration (hours). The simulation tallies cumulative distances at each integer hour, flagging cross-over events where Phil surpasses or falls behind animal counterparts.
Detailed Findings and Cross-Over Analysis
Hour 1–2: Cheetah covers ~186 km in ~0.01 h but then endures a 2 h recovery. Phil reaches ~13.4 km by h2, eclipsing the cheetah’s dormant phase.
Hour 8–10: Horse logs 240 km by h8 with 2 h remaining in its 10 h stint. Upon starting its 12 h rest at h10, Phil is only ~89.6 km in, yet maintains uninterrupted progress.
Hour 12–16: Average homo sapiens (12 km/h×5 h → 60 km) rests 4 h, cycling back for another 5 h. Phil’s cumulative ~100–128 km during this window puts him ahead for good.
Hour 48: The gray wolf, adept at long-distance hunting, matches Phil (~384 km) at h48 then rests 4 h, allowing Phil’s march to outpace the wolf’s recovery cycle.
Day 3 Onward: Elephants, kangaroos, deer, rabbits, lions, and greyhounds exhibit stair-step patterns in distance—run blocks followed by rest. None recover quickly enough to challenge Phil’s unbroken stride beyond the first 24 hours.
Quantitative Metrics at 119 Hours
Conclusion: Consistency Over Explosiveness
This in-depth simulation underscores a pivotal insight: in ultra-endurance contexts, the ability to minimize downtime outweighs maximum speed bursts. Phil Gore’s disciplined 45/15 strategy, coupled with the biomechanical support of Tarkine Autopilot footwear, enabled him to sustain forward momentum when all other competitors—animal or human—paused. By the final bell, Phil not only set a world record but also demonstrated the supremacy of unrelenting consistency against the biological imperatives of rest and recovery.
He did it all in the Tarkine Autopilot, safe to say, it passed the ultimate stress test.
Note: Keep in mind all of this is a fun, back-of-the-envelope exercise rather than zoological gospel. We’ve shoe-horned diverse creatures into neat speed/endurance/rest windows—even though real-world data on how long a cheetah truly “needs” to recover or how far a wolf will really chase without a snack is anything but precise. Variables like terrain, weather, motivation and individual quirks can swing these numbers wildly. So take the chart as a playful thought experiment: a way to marvel at Phil Gore’s relentlessness and imagine a field full of snoozing beasts while he just keeps going. Let the mental picture—an unstoppable runner in Tarkines looping past an elephant, wolf, horse and more—be the headline act. Enjoy the ride.
 serves as a perfect case study to juxtapose human endurance tactics against the biological constraints of various apex land animals.){kind=link}