Time for ROUND TWO of the 22nd Running of the Cougar Mountain Trail Run Series! Thank you for being a part of our event put on in collaboration between Seattle Running Club and Northwest Trail Runs in support of King County Parks and Recreation. Since the inception of our Cougar Mountain Trail Run Series, we have donated over $256,000 to King County Parks, in addition to countless hours of trail work that we have done at Cougar Mountain.
Carpool Carpool Carpool – Parking is available at Sky Country Trailhead at Cougar Mountain (Google map here). You do not need a parking pass. Parking near the race is limited, so we recommend carpooling with friends or family. Once the parking lot fills up, you will be directed by our volunteers to park on the west side of 166th Way SE. Do not park on the east side of the road. Please give yourself plenty of time to walk to the start line as you may have to park far away. Please be kind to the parking volunteers and follow the directions they give you.
IMPORTANT NOTE ON I405 CLOSURE: All northbound lanes of I405 will be closed from 11:30 PM on Friday, June 13th, to 4:00 AM on Monday, June 16th, from Sunset Boulevard (Exit 5) to Coal Creek Parkway (Exit 10). Please plan accordingly if this closure affects you; you can view all the details on the WSDOT page here.
Weather – It’s trending to be great running weather Saturday morning with temperatures in the low 50s in the morning and climbing to the high 60s by course closure, with mostly sunny skies.
FOOD TRUCK – Back by popular demand – Sometimes we don’t have the post-race food runners are craving (especially after a beer) so we are excited to have Tacos El Alebrije back as an option at Sky Country Trailhead from 10:00am-1:00pm! Alebrije Tacos will have meat and veggie options and discounts for runners (bring cash or card) so our suggestion post-race: place an order, grab a beer or get a massage while you wait, and then eat while cheering on other runners and the podium winners!
POST-RACE MASSAGE – Experience Momentum will have Licensed Massage Therapist Eric George at the race for some light soft tissue work around any aches and pains that may have crept up during your race. Eric is an experienced ultra runner and has run and volunteered at many Cougar races over the years and is happy to be able to give back to his running community through his profession. Eric will be available from 9:30am-12:30pm near the post-race tent. Cash tip appreciated!
Raffle Table – Every runner will be entered into a raffle for sweet Cougar Mountain Trail Running swag. There will be a raffle table by the post-race food so see if your bib number was drawn!
Schedule (Start Times, Awards, Cut-offs)
7:30 AM Registration and bib pickup
8:45 AM Pre-Race Announcements
9:00 AM Start of both 8.2 and 14.5 miles
9:10 AM Start of 5k
10:00(ish) AM 5k Podium Awards
11:00(ish) AM 8.2 Podium Awards
12:00(ish) PM 14.5 -Mile Podium Awards
1:00 PM Finish line closes
Every finisher will receive a locally made finisher’s award, made by Otter Pawz Lazer (IG @otterpawzlaser. Podium awards will be given to the top 3 Men, Women, and Non-Binary finishers for each distance.
Race Drop Downs – If you would like to drop down in distance prior to the start of your race, please let the race volunteers know of your intentions at check-in. You cannot drop in distance once you start the race.
Aid Stations – There will be basic aid stations, consisting of water, Skratch electrolytes, and some basic snacks. Then stick around the finish line for more snacks, post-race food (after 10:30, and while supplies last), and beer (Flying Lion Cougar Mountain Kolsch for those that are over 21). You can find the race maps here.
AS 1: Shy Bear Pass (all races)
AS 2: Clay Pit Road (8.2 and 14.5)
A3: De Leo Wall (only 14.5)
Cupless Event – Please remember that this is a cupless event. Please bring a collapsible cup or hand-held water bottle for the aid stations and post-race refreshments.
Litter – Please do not litter. If you have trash, please put it in the trash receptacles at aid stations or the finish line. If you see trash on the trails please help pick it up. If you knowingly litter you will be disqualified from the race and not allowed to enter future SRC events.
No Tolerance – Seattle Running Club events are zero tolerance events. We will not tolerate any harassment of participants, volunteers, organizers, or bystanders. If you have witnessed harassment or have been a target of harassment, please reach out to the race director.
No Dogs – As much as we love our four-legged furry friends, we are unfortunately not allowed to have dogs on our course due to the safety of other runners and our insurance policy. Please respect this policy.
Other Northwest Trail Runs – Our partner in putting on the Cougar and Bridle trail races is Northwest Trail Runs. Please check out their events on their website, including their summer Trail to Grill Tuesdays: https://nwtrailruns.
Seattle Running Club – Please check out Seattle Running Club, including the benefits of being a member. SRC hosts group runs and workouts. And membership includes benefits from our partners, including Flying Lion Brewing, Seven Hill Running Shop, Fleet Feet Seattle (Ballard), and Snoqualmie Running.
Volunteering – If you are interested in volunteering at future Cougar races, please reach out to our Volunteer Coordinator, Michael, at volunteer@
See you at the start-line! – Gretchen Walla, RD