SGPT Interviews Justin Smith: 100 miles in 24 hours Lil Dog Backyard Race

Hooyah, warriors of the trench and the trail! Welcome to another no-fluff dispatch from the front lines of endurance and grit, delivered straight to the operational deck at SEALgrinderPT. Today, we lock eyes with a man who didn’t just run a race—he stamped his will into the earth and made it answer: meet Justin Smith, former Navy man and current engineer, who stepped into the crucible of the Little Dog Backyard Ultra in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, and went toe-to-toe with 100 miles in 24 hours.

This is not your average 100 miler. It is ran on 4.16 mile loops every hour on the hour until the last man is standing. Justin managed cramp waves, stomach rebellion, and fatigue that would break stronger bodies—yet he kept moving. This is an interview for those who want more than “finish the workout.” It’s for the kind of athlete who asks: What happens when everything you know about yourself runs out?

Read on and break down how he built the base miles, layered elevation, locked in footcare, and mentally fought loop after loop when the small victories became survival and the big victory was simply not quitting. No shortcuts. No fluff. Just raw field-expedient lessons learned in the worst hours—and how he came out of the fight intact.

Welcome to Justin’s mission. Let’s get it.

SGPT: Tell us about yourself?

JS: I’m 30 years old, from Lawrenceburg, TN. Spent 6 years in the Navy as an IC’man (Interior Communications Electrician) and got out in March ’24. I am currently working as an engineer in Huntsville, AL, supporting the Army. I enjoy running, jiu jitsu, & hiking. Trying to get stronger every day & stay fit as long as possible.

SGPT: Did you have an athletic background growing up?

JS: I played several sports in high school (football, track, tennis) but started a little late to be too good at any of them. I spent a lot of time working on my grandpa’s land, hunting & fishing in Southern Tennessee.

SGPT: How did you get inspired to do the Little Dogs Backyard Ultra? Tell us more about that event.

JS: I’ve had the idea of running 100 miles in the back of my mind for several years. I started with a marathon last fall, followed by a 100k in July. One of my coworkers, Steven, ran this race last year & came out with the win. He had mentored me in preparing for the 100k & was planning to return to Little Dog’s this year.

Knowing I’d have friends running this race & that it would go well past the 100 mile distance was big in choosing this race. I’d also been following the Barkley Marathons for years. I knew attempting my first 100 at Laz’s race would make the experience that much cooler.

Little Dog’s is held in Bell Buckle, TN on Laz’s farm. It’s a last man standing race where runners complete at 4.167 mile loop at the top of every hour until only 1 runner remains. Runner’s are allowed to build their own aid station with a crew member. They must be in the runner’s corral at the start of every hour & must complete their loop before returning to their aid station.

Runners can carry fuel & items on the course but must return with everything they left with (i.e. bottles, vests, trash). The daytime portion of the race (first 12 hours) is held on a trail, and the night portion is held on the road. There are many different strategies for pacing, rest times, napping, fueling as the hours accumulate. Once the last runner completes a single loop alone, the race ends.

SGPT: How did you train for an event like that?

JS: I had been maintaining a 30-40 mile/week base and working through a marathon plan (speedwork, LSD runs, intervals). I signed up a little spontaneously about two months out. I then focused more on “time on feet” running, added in a lot more elevation, trail runs. I hit a few 40-50 mile weeks. Having such a short amount of time to train, I didn’t overload the volume in order to prevent injury.

SGPT: What was the hardest part of the event?

JS: Loops 18-20 (24 loops required for 100 miles) were pretty tough. That was around 12-0200 AM. Stomach wasn’t cooperating (food was going the wrong direction), legs were cramping in waves, and the end didn’t seem to be in sight. I was in unknown territory & didn’t know what my body was going to do next.

Fortunately, I had a great crew (Diana & Sarah). I was getting around 8 minutes of rest per loop & they were great about keeping the hydration, electrolytes, and food going. I owe them a lot for pulling me through that spot. Once I was within 4 loops of reaching the goal, I got the spark back.

SGPT: Talk about the mental side of an event like this? How did you cope with that?

JS: Running the same loops for 24 hours could definitely drive you a little crazy. I ran the first 60 miles with my co-worker and his niece. Telling stories & getting to know other runners took your mind off the repetitive scenery. Around midnight was probably the first time I made the mistake of counting how many loops I had left. I felt that weight. Making it back to the aid station was a huge mental checkpoint & provided a good short term goal during the race.

Having a race goal was a blessing & a curse. My goal was 100 miles, but I saw many others that were working on their own distance PR. Once reaching the 100 miles, I started 25 loop but mentally was done. In hindsight, I think I could’ve gotten a few more loops if my goal had been set higher. So setting the right goal was important.

SGPT: How did you prepare your feet? Double socks? Compression socks? Lube/bodyglide?

JS: I coated the feet with Bodyglide before the race & put athletic tape over known blister spots. I wore toe socks for this race which was a first. I didn’t make any changes aside from shoes around mile 60.

How did your feet hold up?

JS: Overall, pretty good. No blisters this time. I’m losing 4 toenails (big & pinkie toes), but I expected that damage.

SGPT: What good book are you reading now? Podcast/audio?

JS: I just finished up “The Endurance Artist” by Jared Beasley. It’s a biography about Laz & the different races he’s created over the years. I’m working through “Born to Run” by Chris McDougall which is long overdue to be read.

SGPT: What shoes did you train in? For the event?

JS: I trained mainly in Nike Vomero 18’s which are a road shoe. I ran in these for the first 60 miles and swapped to Vomero Plus’s, which are the same shoe with more padding built in.

SGPT: How did you find out and get involved with SGPT? You attended one of our Freak Frog events in Florida?

JS:

SGPT: Thanks for the interview Justin. I am inspired to see how far you have come since the Freak Frog event. I wish you all the best in all aspects of your life.

JS: