Welcome to the 2026 edition of the Cougar Mountain Trail Runs. This year is the 23rd running of this event. The runs are put on by Seattle Running Club and Northwest Trail Runs and support King County Parks. Since the beginning of the series, we have donated over $254,000 to King County Parks.
Thanks to everyone who came out for the first race of the 2026 series! Results are available here, and photos by Jorge Orozco are available here. See you in June!
Summer Cougar Mountain Trail Run Series
May 9: 5.1 Miles & 10.8 Miles — Results — Photos
June 13: 5K, 8.2 Miles & 14.5 Miles — Register
9 AM start for all races, 1:00 PM cut-off
July 11: 5K, 10.8 Miles & 19.5 Miles — Register
9 AM start for all races, 2:30 PM cut-off
August 8: 5K, 14.5 Miles & 26.2 Miles — Register
8:30 AM start for the 14.5 and 26.2, 9 AM start for the 5K, 4 PM cut-off
USATF Trail Championships – see below
4-race series — Register
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
Best three of four finishes are counted; sign up for races individually or the whole series to be eligible.
Autumn Cougar Mountain Trail Run
October 31: 5K, 7.6 Mile Cross Country, 19.5 Miles & 50K — Register
8 AM start for the 19.5 and 50K (7 AM early start available), 9 AM start for 7.6 mi, 9:30 AM start for 5K, 5 PM Cut-off
The October race is not a part of the race series.
Online registration closes at 11:59 PM PDT the Wednesday before each event. We will also have in-person registration available at the starting line on race day.
Coming in August – USATF PNTF Championships |
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
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
We ask that runners bring a refillable water container with them on the trail to use at aid stations along the way. Aid stations will be stocked with Skratch hydration products.
Race Information
Thanks to runners like you, the Cougar Mountain Trail Runs has raised over $254,000 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 23rd 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 trails feature 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 Saturday in October. Series standings are updated after each month’s races and everyone signing up for a series and finishing at least three races is eligible for Series awards. There are no refunds of registration fees.
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.
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: Rich Bennett
Volunteer contact: Michael Havrda