Scott Snell

About

Scott Snell is an American ultrarunner from Iowa, based in New Jersey, who specializes in backyard ultra — the 4.167-mile loop format where runners continue until only one is left standing. A father of four, he ran his first ultra (the Blues Cruise 50k) in 2015 and steadily developed his range and endurance over the following years, gravitating toward backyard ultra format, which rewards exactly the combination of patience, economy, and mental resilience he brings to racing. After establishing himself on the East Coast backyard circuit with strong showings at events like Keystone and the Backyard Squatch, his 2024 season marked his arrival on the world stage: he won Big's Backyard Ultra — Laz Lake's legendary Tennessee event — with 366.66 miles, and served as a key member of Team USA at the Backyard Ultra World Team Championships in both 2022 and 2024. He documents his running life on the Beast Coast Trail Running blog, one of the East Coast's most widely read ultrarunning journals.

Notable Wins

• — Big's Backyard Ultra 2024 (366.66 miles)
• — Team USA Backyard Ultra World Team Championships 2022 and 2024

Race History