Merijn Geerts

About

Merijn Geerts is a Belgian ultrarunner from Wilsele who has emerged as one of the defining figures in the backyard ultra format. In May 2022, at age 47, he set a new solo world best of 90 laps — more than 600 km — at the Backyard Masters in Germany, an achievement that caught the attention of the global ultra community. Later that year, he and teammate Ivo Steyaert shattered all previous backyard ultra team records by completing 101 laps over 101 consecutive hours at the World Team Backyard Ultra Championships, winning gold for Belgium with a performance of almost incomprehensible duration. In 2024, alongside Steyaert and Frank Gielen, Geerts raised the team record again to 110 hours at the Big Dog's Backyard Ultra World Team Championships. His achievements have established Belgium as the dominant force in team backyard ultra racing and cemented his place in the history of ultra-endurance sport. All the more remarkable for coming in the latter stages of his running career, Geerts's performances exemplify the backyard format's unique reward for experience, mental resilience, and deep camaraderie between teammates.

Notable Wins

• — Backyard Masters solo world best 90 laps (600+ km) 2022
• — World Team Backyard Ultra Championships gold (Belgium) 2022 (101 laps / 101 hours world record)
• — World Team Backyard Ultra Championships 2024 (110-hour team world record)

Race History