Welcome to the August race in the Cougar Mountain Trail Run series, hosted by Seattle Running Club and benefitting King County Parks! The August race has 5 km, 14.5 mile, and 26.2 mile distances. Read more about the race series.

Results

Results for the 2026 race.

Photos by Jorge Orozco

Registration

Online registration is now closed, but day-of-race registration will be available starting at 7:30 AM on Saturday.

  • 5k race: $40  (day of race: $50)
  • 14.5 mile race: $65  (day of race: $85)
  • 26.2 mile race: $80  (day of race: $100)

Seattle Running Club members receive a 20% discount; check your club newsletter for discount code.

Race day

  • Location: Sky Country Trailhead, Cougar Mountain Regional Park, Bellevue, WA
  • Schedule:
    • 7:30 AM: Day of race Registration and bib pick up open
    • Pre-race briefing: 15 min before each race
    • 8:30 AM: 14.5 mile and 26.2 mile start
    • 9:00 AM: 5k start
    • Podium awards are announced as soon as the top 3 results in each category are available.
  • Time limits:
    • 10:05 AM: intermediate cut-off at Clay Pit Road aid station  
    • 11:45 AM: intermediate cut-off at Shy Bear aid station second pass (7.1 mile for 14.5 mi race, 10.7 miles for 26.2 mile race)
    • 12:45 PM: intermediate cut-off at De Leo Wall aid station (10.3 mile for 14.5 mi race, 14.2 miles for 26.2 mile race)
    • 2:00 PM: intermediate cut-off at Fred’s Railroad first pass (18.3 mi for the 26.2 mi race)
    • 4:00 PM: course closes

Course and aid stations

The courses will be well-marked along the trails and at every intersection. Course maps are also available here.

There will be four aid stations, consisting of water, Skratch electrolytes, and some basic snacks. 

  • Clay Pit Road (all races)
  • Shy Bear (14.5 and 26.2 twice)
  • De Leo Wall (14.5 & 26.2)
  • Fred’s Railroad (26.2 only)

 

USATF PNTF Championships

USATF Trail Championships 2026 - Seattle, WA

Seattle Running Club and Northwest Trail Runs are excited to host the USATF Pacific Northwest Youth, Open, and Masters Championships! There will be prize money for both the Open and Master races – women and men – and awards for the youth 5k race. While USATF does not recognize a non-binary category, Seattle Running Club will provide equal prize money for non-binary athletes competing in the Open and Masters championships, and equivalent awards for non-binary youth. In order to participate in any of the championship races, runners must have a current USATF membership number.

Enter your membership number when registering (the prompt will be on the second page) for the 14.5 mile race or the 5k (for youth runners) and upon checkout, we will have record of who is entered in the championship races. 

PNW Youth Trail Project

 – This will be the final race in the PNW Youth Trail Project Summer Race Series.   What is the PNW Youth Trail Project?  Founders Trisha Steidl, Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy, and Scott Sowle, have the mission “to promote trail running for all high school and middle school-aged youth in the greater Seattle area. This is a three race series under the PNW Youth Trail Project. To score in the series, athletes can compete in either of the first 2 races and must compete the Cougar 5k:

  • Tiger Mountain 5k, June 6 – hosted by Northwest Trail Runs
  • Seward Sizzler 4.2 mile, July 7 – hosted by Northwest Trail Runs
  • Cougar Mountain 5k, August 8 – hosted by Seattle Running Club and Northwest Trail Runs – IMPORTANT NOTE – Youth runners must register for the PNTF Youth Trail Championship portion of the August Cougar 5k to have their result be included in the PNW YTP Summer Race Series (which is a best 2 out of 3). Click here for more USATF youth membership info. 

 

Sponsors

Thanks to our sponsors for their support of the race series! Skratch Labs, Black Diamond, Snoqualmie Running, Experience Momentum, Basic Jane, Nixwax, Flying Lion Brewery, Pizza Coop and Alehouse and Wolf Mother Workshop 

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.Seattle Running Club Discount

No Dogs

As much as we love our four-legged friends and family members, we are not allowed to have dogs at our event.

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. 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

Race results