Cougar Mountain Trail Run Series (August)

🏃‍♂️ About 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.

📅 Events 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 (7 AM early start will be available), 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 News for 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. Enter your USATF 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. Please note: 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.

• Membership Info: How to become a USATF member
• Youth Membership: USATF youth membership info

🌲 Additional Highlights

This will be the final race in 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 in the Cougar 5k:

• 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 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.

Visit the PNW Youth Trail Project website page to learn more!

🏅 Series Details

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 Information

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: Distances that are perfect for all experience levels
• Community: Surround yourself with members of the trail-running community
• Post-Race Food: Including beer provided by Flying Lion Brewery
• Support King County Parks: $15/runner donated to the 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. Our friends at Seven Hills Running, Fleet Feet Sports Seattle (Capitol Hill and Ballard), and Snoqualmie Running have a variety of hydration products.

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