10-LOOP CAPACITY UPDATE
IMPORTANT 10-LOOP CAPACITY REGISTRATION UPDATE
We are approaching 800 registered participants as of today September 24 for the Final Edition of JP's Backyard Ultra & Hike, including more than 250 participants registered for all 10 loops. Thank you for the incredible response!
Because we have a limited number of race bibs, 10-loop bib registration will close today, September 24, at 12:00 PM.
YOU CAN STILL DO ALL 10 LOOPS.
If you register after 12:00 PM today, or register for another distance and decide on race day that you want to go for all 10, you are absolutely welcome to do so.
We cannot guarantee a race bib or official timing for anyone registering for 10 loops after 12:00 PM today. You are still welcome to complete all 10 loops and be part of the event.
Whether you're joining us for one loop or all ten, you are part of this community.
Thank you for your understanding—and thank you for the extraordinary support you've shown the Final Edition.
One Loop. A Hundred Stories. For Good.
Be a force for good.
RACE WEEK! Final Instructions
IT'S RACE WEEK! Final Instructions for JP's Backyard Ultra & Hike |
|
Hello JP's Backyard Ultra & Hike Family, It's race week. After all the planning, training, fundraising and community building, the Final Edition is here. Whether you're coming for one loop or all ten, running, hiking, volunteering, or cheering for someone you love, here is what you need to know before Saturday. ⏰ ARRIVAL Please arrive by 7:30 AM. Our race briefing and important course/safety announcements begin promptly at 7:30 AM. The first loop starts at 8:00 AM. The parking lot opens at 6:00 AM. 🚗 IMPORTANT: PARKING Enter through the WEST SIDE parking lot entrance at Skyline Wilderness Park and look for the JP's Backyard Ultra Parking signs. Westside Parking Lot Here:
DO NOT enter through Skyline Park's main entrance, where there is a $6 entrance fee. Skyline Wilderness Park 🏕️ CAMPING AT SKYLINEWant to make a weekend of it? Camping is available at Skyline Wilderness Park. Participants who would like to camp Friday night or during race weekend can make their camping arrangements directly through the Skyline Wilderness Park website. Camping is separate from your JP's Backyard Ultra registration and must be reserved directly with Skyline Wilderness Park. I recommend reserving your campsite in advance, especially if you're traveling from outside the Napa area. ⛺ BRINGING A PERSONAL CANOPY? Personal canopies may be set up only in the designated participant areas along the Martha Walker Garden fence and beside the cement platform closest to the road. Look for yellow ribbon and “Participants — Set Up Your Canopies Here” signs. 📍 THE COURSE Follow the PINK ribbons and directional chalk arrows. Do NOT follow BLUE ribbons. A chalk X means DO NOT enter that trail. The first loop at 8:00 AM heads EAST. At 9:00 AM we reverse direction, and we continue alternating directions throughout the day. If you're continuing, return to the start for the next top-of-the-hour start. We start each loop together. 🏃 10-LOOPERS: BIBS, TIMING & LOOP TRACKING BOARD Bibs and official timing are ONLY for participants attempting all 10 loops. Everyone else does not need a bib. Ten-loop participants: pick up your bib on 9/25 from 11 AM to 6 PM at Skyline Park and on race morning at the main camp from 6AM to 0730 AM. We will also have large tracking boards at Main Camp for the 10-loop participants. After each loop, write your name and your loop time on the board. This will allow you—and everyone cheering you on—to follow your progress throughout the day. To remain in the official timed 10-loop event, you must complete each loop within the hour and return for the next top-of-the-hour start. If you don't finish a loop within the hour, official timing of your subsequent loops will stop. You are still welcome to continue and complete your 10-loop goal. 🏅 MEDALS & AWARDS Whether your goal is one loop or all ten, once you've completed your intended distance, visit the Awards Tent for your finisher medal. One medal per participant. We will also have competitive awards for our 2-, 4-, 6-, 8- and 10-loop events. Specific award instructions will be reviewed race morning. 🚑 SAFETY & FIRST AID Two EMTs will be stationed at the EMT canopy at Main Camp. We will have additional on-course support, including a roving mountain-bike guide and a First Aid Volunteer by the bridge that leads to Lake Marie Road. If you need assistance while on the trail, identify the nearest MILE MARKER when requesting help. Our team has the GPS locations of the mile markers and can use them to find you more quickly. Please hydrate early, use electrolytes, eat before you feel depleted, and take advantage of our ice, cooling sponges and misting station. 💧 AID STATIONS Main Camp: food, electrolytes, water, ice and cooling resources. Water-only: bridge & halfway point at approximately mile 2.3. Please take ONE reusable blue HydraPak cup, use it throughout the day and take it home with you. 🌮 LUNCH + CHILDCARE Lunch is served 11:00 AM–12:30 PM. No ticket is needed for the main lunch. Tacos and paella are limited and require tickets. Please get taco and paella tickets from the raffle station canopy. Our Childcare Canopy will be available from 8:00 AM–12:00 PM. Check in at the canopy for details. 🙋 FINISHED YOUR LOOPS? STAY WITH US. If you've completed your goal and would like to help, become part of our volunteer team. We'll need help throughout the day with lunch, the aid station, raffle/fundraising, our Trash Brigade and later event breakdown. Ask us where you're needed. One of my favorite things about this event is watching participants become volunteers and volunteers become part of the family. ♻️ LEAVE SKYLINE BETTER THAN WE FOUND IT Please use the marked waste stations: Green = Compost | Blue = Recycling | Gray/Black = Trash And please do not throw away your blue HydraPak cup. 💚 AND NOW, THE MOST IMPORTANT PART JP's Backyard Ultra & Hike is free. We made that choice intentionally because I want everyone—regardless of age, ability, or how far they intend to go—to be able to participate. But this event exists for a greater purpose: We are raising money for the Pheo Para Alliance. If you've registered but haven't donated yet, I'm asking you to consider making your donation now. Go to the JP's Backyard Ultra website and click the GREEN DONATE button.
Every donation goes directly to the Pheo Para Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 26-1510652. On race day, you can also support the fundraiser through our raffle, specialty gift baskets, Silent Auction/Buy It Now, commemorative JP's Backyard Ultra wine, and merchandise. Bring your family. Bring your friends. Come run. Come hike. Come volunteer. Come cheer. Because this Final Edition was never about seeing how far one person could run. It's about seeing what a community can accomplish when we come together for a purpose bigger than ourselves. One Loop. A Hundred Stories. For Good. See you Saturday. With gratitude, Jonathan O. Pascual Be a force for good. |
Events
JP's Backyard Ultra & Hike, The Final Edition
JP's Backyard Ultra & Hike Virtual Challenge, The Final Edition
JP’s Backyard Ultra Heart Challenge: Complete acts of kindness and connection through a virtual bingo challenge.
$48,740
Raised of $25,000
Event Description
Join us for JP’s Backyard Ultra, a one-of-a-kind ultramarathon and hike set in the scenic trails of Skyline Wilderness Park in Napa, CA. Now in its fourth and final year, this grassroots event is more than just a race, it’s a celebration of life, resilience, and community.
Born from my personal journey with Stage IV mediastinal paraganglioma, JP’s Backyard Ultra is a fundraiser for the Pheo Para Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 26-1510652) dedicated to empowering patients, families, and medical professionals affected by pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma through education, advocacy, and global support. Learn more at www.pheopara.org.
Whether you're in it for one loop or ten, come run or hike in solidarity, to honor those facing rare diseases, to challenge yourself, and to stand as part of a growing force for good.
~Jonathan Pascual
- The course features a 3.3 mile loop with 550+ feet of climbing, offering a mix of terrain from steep rocky sections to shaded paths. Scroll down for map below.
- Participants can choose anywhere from 1 to 10 loops.
- Runners and hikers alike start at the same time every hour going clockwise on the even hours and counterclockwise on the odd hours. So it doesn't matter if you finish your loop fast or slow because everyone starts again at the same time in the next hour. Those attempting 10 loops should pace themselves for a final race on the 10th loop making 33.3 miles. You can do as many or as few loops as you wish however.
- Timed Event: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM. Please arrive by 0730 for course description, announcement of run prize categories & fundraising prizes.
- Aid Station: Main camp has various caloric options and drinks with water only at the bridge and mile 2.3.
- Food & Beverages: Provided, including lunch for participants and volunteers.
- Cupless Event: Bring your own water bottle or hydration pack. HYDRAPAK, our Sustainable Racing Partner will provide limited 300 Limited Edition HydraPak Graphic SpeedCups & 8 SpeedFill Pitchers for use at aid stations.
- Awards:
- Medals to all registered hikers and runners.
- Medal & wine (non-alcoholic option for under 21) for top three male and female finishers of the 2, 4, 6, 8 loops.
- Medal, wine, and trophy for the fastest 10th loop goes to the top three male and female finishers and special Vinerunner 4th place trophy.
- Medal, wine, and trophy for the fastest cumulative time for 10 loops goes to the top three male and female finishers.
- Raffle Prizes: buy tickets on day of event to win raffle baskets, gift certificates, and other special prizes. Proceeds benefit the Pheo Para Alliance.
- Silent Wine Auction: place your bids on exceptional wines generously donated by local Napa Valley wineries, starting at an unbeatable buy-now price. Proceeds benefit the Pheo Para Alliance.
- Registration "Fee": Donation Link
- JP's Backyard Ultra has always been a free event. Suggested donation to register starts at $30.
- Participants get a medal, a variety of snacks and drinks at the aid station, and lunch.
- To streamline registration, we are using runsignup.com. 100% of suggested starting donation of $30 goes directly to the Pheo Para Alliance. The processing fee of 6% per $1 of transaction (cart). This fee is charged per transaction, not per individual participant, meaning that if a user registers multiple people to a single cart, the $1 fee is only charged once, lowering the overall cost per person.
- If you cannot attend or want to donate beyond the suggested amount, consider giving an additional donation at the donation link.
- Parking:
- Do not park at Skyline's main parking lot to avoid parking fee. Parking opens at 0600.
- Follow signs for "JP's Backyard Ultra Parking" for free parking for registered participants.
- Childcare: We have volunteers to watch your kids from 0800-1200.
- Park Rules: No dogs on trails, stay on marked trails, carry out your trash & put in appropriate bins at the main aid station, trails close at sunset.
- Camp with us: reservations at Skyline's Website: Reserve Camp Site. Mention JP's Backyard Ultra to reserve your spot in our campsite on Friday 9/25 & Saturday 9/26. Camping reservation with vehicles is nearby but will be separate from the tent only camping.
🙌 We Need Volunteers!
Volunteers are a huge part of what makes this event so special. If you or someone you know would like to help, please click the Volunteer tab on the top of the race website to sign up.
🍴 Want to Help Another Way?
This event is primarily funded by me, my family, and our friends. If you’d like to support us by donating food for lunch, contributing raffle prizes, creating your own fundraiser or helping in any other way, please don’t hesitate to contact me at jonpascual@comcast.net.
💬 A Personal Note
As many of you know, I’ve been living with Stage IV mediastinal paraganglioma since 2022. This year has been the toughest yet—my condition has progressed despite going through chemotherapy every three weeks in a clinical trial at the NIH. I’m holding onto hope that the switch in therapies in 2026 will buy me more time.
In 2025, we had over 600 participants and we raised over $100K for the Pheo Para Alliance. It is bittersweet for me to have this final edition of JP’s Backyard Ultra. But all good things must come to an end. Let’s rally together. Let’s hit our fundraising goal.
I believe that the notion of a Stage IV cancer as a death sentence is a myth. I have challenged and have shown that my predicament is an invitation to show true resilience and courage. ‘Be a force for good’ is what I tell others. For I know that I have so much more to give, so much more life to live, and so much more love to give. I challenge others to discover what they can contribute to be a force for good.
Still, I continue to believe that a Stage IV diagnosis is not the end. It’s a call to rise, to give, to love more deeply.
With love and gratitude,
Jonathan Pascual
Organizer, JP’s Backyard Ultra
jonpascual@comcast.net
Instagram: @jpconbrio
“Not everyone can run an ultra.
But everyone can show up with kindness.”
Instructions
Click here to access our pdf instructions on how to participate!
In lieu of in-person participation or running/walking the ultra-marathon, participants may elect to engage through the virtual challenge, “Ultra Heart Challenge”. To do this, go to the event page in RunSignUp and select the option to sign up for the “Ultra Heart Challenge”.
In this challenge, participants complete meaningful, accessible actions to participate in the capacity that they can while embodying the spirit of JP’s Backyard Ultra/Hike. Actions can be subjective to the participant, or they may work on finishing a pre-set 5 x 5 bingo card.
CBS Mornings "Note to Self"
JP's Backyard Ultra & Hike
NBC Bay Area, Bay Area Proud
Contact Form
Event Location
Skyline Wilderness Park
2201 Imola Avenue
Napa, CA 94559 US
View Location on Map
