The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year, but for JP Siou the 2026 start of summer may feel like the longest day of his life.
The Abbotsford personal trainer and gym owner has chosen to celebrate summer’s arrival by participating in a 100-kilometre Solstice Run on Saturday, June 20.
The challenge is not just for his own personal satisfaction, as Siou is also raising money for the Summer Starfish Backpack Program – which helps keep children fed and families supported during the summer months when access to school meal programs is unavailable.
He will begin his journey at approximately 5:04 a.m. (sunrise) and finish at 9:17 p.m. (sunset). Siou will pound the pavement and trails for over 16 hours and the course sees him total about 4,200 metres of elevation gain.
The route travels from Siou’s home near McMillan Elementary, winds its way all the way up McKee Road past Ledgeview Golf Course, up and around the trails of McKee Peak and all the way home. He plans to make about five loops total to reach the time and distance.
Siou said he’s been thinking about doing a solstice run for years.
“I just kind of wondered if it was possible for me to run from sunrise to sunset on the solstice,” he recalled. “And for a number of years my plan was to just try and do it at Willband Creek and run loops all day. But staring at the same scenery for 16 hours wasn’t what I wanted to do.”
Last year he ran with a training partner from McKay Creek Park to Cultus Lake (and around the lake) and back and it was close to 92 kilometres. It’s the most he’s ever run and it made him think more about the solstice run. Siou said the run last year was very challenging.
“My feet hurt for like the last five or six hours,” he said. “And at about the 14-hour mark my stomach shut down too and I couldn’t take on any food. I also had trouble swallowing water. The last two hours were pretty rough.”
Siou said his route will feature flat, uphill and downhill portions and said that he thinks that variety will be better for him mentally and physically. Friends, family and training partners will be joining him for some portions of the run and he said he will rely on a custom mixture of water and maple syrup for energy. He’ll also have pepperoni sticks and possibly some McDonald’s double cheeseburgers to fuel up.
He began seriously training in January and since mid-March has been running every other day to build his stamina up.
Siou said he decided to support the Summer Starfish Backpack Program because it’s an important charity and all the funds remain in Abbotsford. He said that a client introduced him to the program and said knowing that he will be benefiting local students helps him stay motivated. Siou has a goal of $5,100 and at publication time the fundraiser had collected $3,032.
“I really like that it’s a program that was started here and that it has a local impact,” he said.
Siou has been documenting his journey on social media and plans to do live updates during the big day. He also thanked his family for putting up with his training and supporting him on this adventure.
For details on how to donate and to follow his run, visit jpsiou.com/solstice-run.