Cougar Mountain Trail Run Series (August)

🏃‍♂️ Welcome to the Race

Welcome to the 2025 edition of the Cougar Mountain Trail Run Series, put on by Seattle Running Club and Northwest Trail Runs. Our events support King County Parks, with $15 of every entry going to KC Parks.

📅 Event Schedule

• May 10: 5.1 Miles & 10.8 Miles - 9 AM start for all races, 12:00 PM cut-off (~16:40 pace for 10.8 miles)
• June 14: 5K, 8.2 Miles & 14.5 Miles - 9 AM start for all races, 1:00 PM cut-off (~16:35 pace for 14.5 miles)
• July 12: 5K, 10.8 Miles & 19.5 Miles - 9 AM start for all races, 2:30 PM cut-off (~16:55 pace for 19.5 miles)
• August 9: 5K, 14.5 Miles & 26.2 Miles - 8:30 AM start for the 14.5 and 26.2, 9 AM start for the 5K, 4 PM cut-off (~17:10 pace for the marathon)
• October 25: 5K, 7.6 Mile Cross Country, 19.5 Miles & 50K - 8 AM start for the 19.5 and 50K, 9 AM start for 7.6 Miles and Cross Country event, 9:30 AM start for 5K, 5 PM Cut-off (~17:25 pace for 50K, ~19:30 pace for early start)

🏆 Exciting Championship Announcement

EXCITING NEWS FOR THE AUGUST RACE - Seattle Running Club and Northwest Trail Runs is excited to host the USATF PNTF 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. In order to participate in any of the championship races, runners must have a current USATF membership number.

• Membership Requirement: Enter your USATF membership number when registering for the 14.5 mile race or the 5k (for youth runners).
• No Nonbinary Category: USATF does not have a non-binary category, but Seattle Running Club will still offer the same prize money and awards as the women, men, and youth races.
• How to Join: How to become a USATF member
• Youth Membership: USATF youth membership info

🌲 PNW Youth Trail Project

ALSO HAPPENING ONLY AT THE AUGUST RACE - This will be the final race in the PNW Youth Trail Project. 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.”

• Tiger Mountain 5k: June 21 - hosted by Northwest Trail Runs
• Seward Sizzler 4.2 mile: July 8 - hosted by Northwest Trail Runs
• Cougar Mountain 5k: August 9 - 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 5k to have their result included in the PNW YTP Summer Race Series.

🏅 Series Awards

Series (NEW - BEST 3 OUT OF 4 RACES is eligible for awards): 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. Top overall Man, Woman, and Nonbinary runners based on cumulative time will receive an award and free entry into next year's series.

💻 Registration Details

Online registration closes at 11:59 PM PDT the Wednesday before each event. We will have day-of registration if you did not register in time.

🎉 Reasons to Sign Up

• Well-marked Trails: Perfect for all experience levels.
• Community: Surround yourself with members of the trail-running community.
• Post-race Food: Includes beer provided by Flying Lion Brewery.
• Support Parks: $15/runner donated to King County Parks.

🛡️ Safety Guidelines

If you are showing symptoms of any illness or disease, please skip this race. Email races@seattlerunningclub.org for other race options or it’s a much appreciated donation!

🏞️ 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.

📊 Race Information

Thanks to runners like you, the Cougar Mountain Trail Run Series has raised over $250,000+ for King County Parks and contributed 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 15 minutes from Seattle, King County's Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park is one of