Welcome to the 2024 edition of the Cougar Mountain Trail Series. This year is the 21st running of this event. The series is put on by Seattle Running Club and Northwest Trail Runs and supports King County Parks. Since the beginning of the series, we have donated over $240,000 to King County Parks.
Events
October 27: 5K, 7.6 Mile Cross Country, 19.5 Miles & 50K — Register
8 AM start for the 19.5 mile and 50K (7 AM 50k early start available; no day of registration for early start – only for pre-registered runners)
9 AM start for 7.6 Miles and Cross Country event
9:30 AM start for 5K
course closes at 5 PM (~17:25 pace for 50K, ~19:30 pace for early start)
Cross Country // Cougar Cup – The October 7.6-Mile Race is a team race – individuals are still eligible to run the 7.6 mile race for podium awards but not the Cougar Cup. The Cougar Cup is open to any team, group or club. In order to participate in the event, teams must sign-up the morning of the race and declare who is on the team. All team members must sign a waiver and list an emergency contact who is not racing. All teams must pay the entry fee of $170. This is a mixed team event and 2 women must score for each team. Teams can consist of 4-6 people with 4 people scoring and 2 displacing. There will be a cup handed out to the winning team. Team captains need to fill out this survey by noon Friday October 25th, and communicate information to other team members.
May 11: 5.1 Miles & 10.8 Miles — Results — Photos
June 8: 5K, 8.2 Miles & 14.5 Miles — Results — Photos
July 13: 5K, 10.8 Miles & 19.5 Miles — Results — Photos
August 10: 5K, 14.5 Miles & 26.2 Miles — Results — Photos
Series
Short Series: May 5.1 Miles, June 8.2 Miles, July 10.8 Miles & August 14.5 Miles
Long Series: May 10.8 Miles, June 14.5 Miles, July 19.5 Miles, August 26.2 Miles
2024 Series standings after four races:
Online registration closes at 11:59 PM PDT the Wednesday before each event. We will also have day-of registration available at the starting line.
Reasons to Sign Up
1) Well-marked trails with distances that are perfect for all experience levels
2) Community: Surround yourself with members of the trail-running community
3) Post-race food and libations, including beer provided by one of our Club’s partner stores, Flying Lion Brewery
4) Raise money for King County Parks: $15/runner donated to the parks
USATF PNTF Championships in August!
The August Cougar Mountain Trail Run Series 14.5-Mile Race will serve as the USATF PNTF Open and Masters Trail Championships. There is prize money for this event! Additionally, the 5k race serves as the first-ever USATF PNTF Youth Trail Championship! This was put togetherby the PNW Youth Trail Project and is the final race of the inaugural PNW YTP Race Series. Both championship races require participants to be members of the USATF organization – you’ll need your USATF member number when registering for a championship race. For more information about how to become a USATF member, click here. Please note – the championship races are optional. Anyone can run the 5k or 14.5mi races without being in the USATF PNTF championship. However, if you want that extra shot of competition, prize money (14.5 mile only), and possible bragging rights, join USATF before registering.
Safety Guidelines
If you have had COVID-19 symptoms in the last 10 days or have known exposure to someone with COVID-19, please skip this race.
We Run on Native Land
We acknowledge that our running opportunities are built on the purposeful removal of Native peoples, who have been the stewards of Seattle-area lands for thousands of years. Thus, we accept our ethical responsibility for the ongoing stewardship of the land and purposeful support of Native neighbors, colleagues, businesses, and tribes. The Muckleshoot, Duwamish, Stillaguamish, Snoqualmie, and Coast Salish are the Natives of the lands we run on.
Photo Consent
I understand and accept that photos/videos/illustrations may be taken of me and/or my personal property while attending/participating in Seattle Running Club (SRC) events/functions. I acknowledge and agree that such photographs or other illustrations may be used by SRC and its related entities for advertising and promotional purposes in any medium, without compensation to me. If you would prefer not to have a particular photo used, let us know and we’ll do our best to remove it right away.
A Greener Event: Cup Free
Again, this year the series is continuing to reduce the amount of trash created during the event. We ask that runners bring a refillable water container with them on the trail to use at aid stations along the way. Our friends at Seven Hills Running, and Fleet Feet Sports Seattle (Capitol Hill and Ballard), and Snoqualmie Running have a variety of hydration products.
Race Information
Thanks to runners like you, the Cougar Mountain Trail Run Series has raised over $240,000 for King County Parks and contributed many hundreds of hours of trail work. Join Seattle Running Club and Northwest Trail Runs in carrying this legacy forward and making this 21st annual event bigger and better than ever!
Just fifteen minutes from Seattle, King County’s Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park is one of the most popular training grounds for area trail runners and the Seattle Running Club. The course builds on itself throughout the series and brings runners through a lush forest of fern-lined single-track trails, over hills and along marshes and wetland habitats. This is a great series to supplement the training regime for a fall marathon or ultra. Cougar Mountain features rolling hills, a few moderate climbs and a few steep but short inclines.
The summer Short Series and Long Series races are held the 2nd Saturday of May, June, July, and August. The Fall races are held on the last Sunday in October. Series standings are updated after each month’s races and everyone competing in each successive distance is eligible for Series awards. There is a participant cap and the races tend to sell out, so register early! There are NO REFUNDS!
Seattle Running Club Discount
If you are a member of Seattle Running Club, you should have received a discount code for 20% in the newsletter. You will need to provide your member number if you use this discount code. There are also many other discounts and benefits for being a member of the Seattle Running Club.
No Dogs
As much as we love our four-legged friends and family members, we are not allowed to have dogs at our event.
Very important announcement: Dogs are not allowed on the course due to USATF Sanctioning and Insurance Requirements. Despite the park’s policy on dogs on leashes being acceptable, USATF has determined dogs on course cause a potentially unsafe environment for participants and spectators. We love our dogs and remember Scott’s dog Jack attending Cougar races for years and years. But we want to continue hosting races for years to come and need to abide by the USATF rules.
Awards
The top 3 Men, Women, and Nonbinary Runners in each event will receive a podium prize.
Our August 14.5-Mile Race will serve as the USATF PNTF championships. There will be prize money for this event, as follows:
2nd: $180
3rd: $140
4th: $100
5th: $60
Our October 7.6-Mile Cross Country event is open to individuals and teams. There will be a special award (the Cougar Mountain Cup) awarded to the winning team. Rules for this event will be the same as the inaugural Cougar Mountain Cup. This is a mixed-team event and 2 women must score for each team. Teams can consist of 4-6 people with 4 people scoring and 2 displacing.
Directions & Parking
Google Map
The registration and start will be at the Sky Country Trailhead off of 166th Way SE (NOT at the Red Town trailhead).
From I-90 Eastbound, take the Lakemont Boulevard SE (Exit 13) exit. Head south (turn right) for 2+ miles on Lakemont Boulevard SE. Turn left onto SE Cougar Mountain Way; go 0.6 miles and then turn right onto 166th Way SE. Follow this road through the gate and look for the parking lot on your right.
Race Director contact: Gretchen Walla
Volunteer contact: Michael Havrda