Overview
About JP
A Personal Note from JP
Get Involved
Ultra Heart Campaign
Overview
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 at the Westside parking lot of Skyline Wilderness Park.
- 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.
About JP
A Personal Note from JP
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 ~$90,000 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
Get Involved
Support This Campaign
For more information, to register, or make a donation, please check out the official event page on RunSignUp!
If you can’t join in-person, there are still ways to get involved virtually! You can create a virtual “run team” and have your own backyard ultra/hike at home*. Alternatively, we are excited to share another way to get involved–the virtual “Ultra Heart Campaign”. Please navigate to the “Ultra Heart Campaign” tab in order to learn more about this feature of JP’s event.
Thank you for your support!
*Please consult your medical care team before engaging in physical activity. The Pheo Para Alliance does not endorse nor advise patients with pheochromcytoma/paraganglioma to engage in intense physical activity without approval by your medical care team.
Ultra Heart Campaign
Overview
“Not everyone can run an ultra.
But everyone can show up with kindness.”
In lieu of in-person participation or running/walking the ultra-marathon, participants may elect to engage through the virtual challenge, “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.
JP’s Ultra Heart Challenge Bingo Board_Pre-Set.pdf
JP’s Ultra Heart Challenge Bingo Board_Unfilled.pdf
Goals
- Engage participants globally and internationally
- Encourage virtual participation/fundraising
How to Participate
Complete a bingo card on your own or challenge your loved ones to join you! However you can participate, we are grateful for your involvement.
Bingo Card Structure:
- 5×5 card
- Choose the pre-filled one or the empty one to make your own
- Ideas for squares (if you are making your own):
- General Kindness Squares
- Send a handwritten encouragement note
- Buy someone coffee
- Check in on someone you haven’t spoken to in a while
- Donate unused items
- Cook a meal for someone
- Volunteer
- Awareness & Education Squares
- Share a fact about pheo/para on social media
- Learn one new thing about rare diseases
- Watch a webinar or patient story
- Thank a healthcare provider
- Advocate for rare disease awareness
- Community Support Squares
- Send a message to someone living with pheo/para
- Join a patient support group discussion
- Make a care package
- Share your own story (if comfortable)
- Light a candle or post in honor of someone
- Accessible “Low Energy” Squares
- Text someone “thinking of you”
- Write 3 things you’re grateful for
- Spend 5 quiet minutes in reflection
- Sit it nature and identify 3 things in your surroundings that make you happy
- General Kindness Squares
Next Steps:
- After completing your bingo board, please send it to cindy@pheopara.org.
- Feel free to also send a quote–we will share your quote at the in-person event!
Fundraising With Your Bingo Board
If you are able to, please consider using your bingo board as a fundraiser for JP’s event!
How to Participate
- $25 per bingo (bingo = one row or column completed)
- $100 for blackout (full bingo card)
- Make a flat donation
Raffle Prize – Ultra Heart Campaign Gratitude Kit
- Ultra Heart Campaign Gratitude Kit includes:
- JP-branded t-shirt
- Phearless the Zebra
For each bingo donation ($25), you will receive one digital raffle ticket. As a bonus for blackout ($100), you will get an extra digital raffle ticket (blackout = 6 raffle tickets total). We will close submission of bingo boards on Sunday, September 13th, however you are still more than welcome to make flat donations until the day of JP’s Backyard Ultra/Hike on September 26th.
We will draw raffle winners the day of the in-person event (September 26th) and notify winners afterwards.
Bridging the Virtual & In-Person Ultra Event:
- During the in-person event, we will:
- Create a “Wall of Strength” board with messages written by participants
- Display the number of acts of kindness completed on our “Wall of Strength” board
- Read quotes from virtual participants
- Dedicate a loop to “Invisible Illness Warriors”
Virtual Badge Levels:
- During the in-person event, we will be distributing medals to finishers. Each “Ultra Heart Campaign” participant who obtains a virtual badge will also get a medal sent to them.
- Virtual Badge Levels:
- Kindness Starter (participant who gets a bingo)
- Community Builder (participant who submits a note)
- Pheo/Para Champion (participant who completes bingo board)
“Message to a Warrior”:
- Submit a note to cindy@pheopara.org & it will get:
- Posted online
- Printed and displayed at the ultra (on the “Wall of Strength” board)
- Sent to patients