We run every Saturday.
Rain or shine, at Cougar Mountain Sky Country trailhead, of I-90 13 miles east of downtown Seattle.
It sounds simple, but the simplicity provides consistency to make it easier to plan on joining us early on a Saturday morning, and so you can focus on enjoying the company and the trails, and yourself, without worrying about a map. Different women, different weather and seasons, and different lengths guarantee that no two runs will be the same. We currently meet at 7 am and 8:30 am. If you do the 4.5 mile run at 7, you will be back by 8:30 with option to run with the 8:30 group.
Here’s more about this run:
Cougar Mountain Park has miles of well-maintained roller coaster singletrack trails with only a few sustained climbs/descents. The trails are fun and sometimes challenging, but not super technical.
You could easily do a marathon in this park without running two trail segments twice. We do a routine route with options for 4.5, 6, 8 and 10 miles. The 4.5 mile route takes about an hour and 15 minutes at our pace, with regroupings. Many women training for ultraruns run their first 10 miles with us and then keep going.
We stop at every intersection to regroup. You will not be left behind. Sometimes we split into two or three groups of different speeds.
There is plentiful parking at the trailhead, and a portapotty. There is also bus service, Trailhead Direct, in the summer on weekends from Tukwila/Renton.
We encourage a Saturday “Club Med”, a walking or wogging (walk/jogging) group for those who are too injured or otherwise temporarily unable to run. You can join if doctors orders allow, to stay connected with running friends, get advice/support, and visit the woods.
We don’t run the first Saturday of June, July and August, because the Cougar Mountain Run Series starts same time same trailhead. We encourage you to join those runs or volunteer.
Below are some of the photos from the last 9 years of running Cougar Mountain Sky Country trailhead, in rain, shine and snow, through birthday parties, holidays, Eveningwear Run, and our annual Menvitational, the Saturday before Halloween when we invite the guys and all dress in genderbending or gender-celebrating costumes.
