Howdy Runners,
Thank you for signing up for the 31st running of the Bridle Trails Winter Running Festival // the 1st year as a daytime event! Between the milestone year and the descent forecast, we are excited to celebrate. Please read through the entire email to help ensure for a smooth event:
CARPOOL, CARPOOL, CARPOOL (!) – parking inside the Bridle Trails State Park is limited. The park & ride lot adjacent to the freeway exit provides a good place to meet and form full carpools before entering the park. A Discover Pass is required to park in the lot so if you do not have a Discover Pass, you will be asked to park elsewhere. REMINDER – if you are a carpool of four or more, fill out a raffle ticket at check-in for a free entry into any 2026 Cougar Series race! Each person can fill out one raffle ticket, and the winner will be announced both at noon and in the post-race email.
Overflow parking is available at the Lake East Christian Church across the street from the park.
There is also limited parking up and down the street from the park entrance (116th Ave NE). If parking on the street, please park out of the way of traffic. Please be prepared to talk with and follow directions from the parking attendants.
WEATHER – the current forecast is mostly cloudy with a high of 49 and a low 38. I highly recommend checking the forecast Saturday morning and bringing layers.
SCHEDULE – REMEMBER IT’S A DAYTIME EVENT!
- 7:00am – 9:45am – Event-day registration opens // bib pick-up
- 8:00am – 50k solo, pairs, & teams start
- 9:00am – 15 mile & 10 mile start
- 10:00am – 5 mile start
- Noon – Winner of the carpool raffle will be announced
- 3:00pm – Cutoff to start last lap
- 4:30pm – Course closes
- A quick pre-race briefing will be given 10(ish) minutes before each start
AWARDS & FINISHING PRIZES – everyone finishing any of the events, including relays, will receive a medal, designed and created by Otter Pawz Lazer. Podium awards will be handed out to the top 3 Men, Women, and Non-Binary runners in the four solo distances. Awards for the top 50k pairs and 50k teams (no divisions) will be handed out as well. We will try to get your podium awards within 10 minutes of finishing, so if you think you were top 3 or a winning team, please stick around for a few minutes. We will not be mailing awards.
RACE DROP DOWN – if you would like to drop down in distance prior to the start of your race, let the race volunteers know of your intentions at check-in. If you would like to run a longer distance, you must notify check-in prior to the start of the race and pay an additional fee. Once the race starts, we will not honor any change in distance.
TEAMS & PAIRS INFO – we have captured most team information and waivers online – hooray! If you have a last minute addition and/or a teammate wasn’t able to enter their info online, they will need to fill out an event-day registration form – including team name and bib number – before the team can receive their bib and belt. This will ensure we have everyone’s waiver and emergency contact info of participants planning to run.
One bib and belt per team, which will be passed after you cross the timing mat to the next runner on your team. The bib and belt must be worn during each lap run. After completing the relay, please make sure to return the belts.
Teams are allowed to bring a canopy and/or a fire pit as they wait for teammates but fire pits are not allowed under the canopy. This has been stressed by the park and our permit will be pulled – “Fire pits will be allowed for the event as long as they are well away from the tree line and the canopies, not even by a little bit.” Bring layers and blankets if you want to stand under a canopy. There will be SRC and Northwest Trail Run canopies for solo-distance runners to take shelter.
TRAIL ETIQUETTE – although our event is permitted, we are still on publicly accessible trails. Please make sure to yield to horses–they have the right of way on these trails. Stop, step to the side of the trail (the lower side if on a slope), and yield the trail to the horse. Also, talk to the rider to help put the horse at ease; say hello and ask whether it is okay to walk past or whether you need to stand still. Please follow this rule of the trail to keep yourself and others safe and so that we will be welcome to have this event in future years.
EARBUDS – If you are listening to music, you must be able to hear your surroundings, like a runner asking to pass or a horse and rider approaching.
NO CUPS – please bring a cup or bottle as a way to hydrate. We will have hot cups for soup but only for soup.
NO DOGS – as much as we love our four legged friends, dogs are not allowed on the course due to USATF Sanctioning and Insurance Requirements.
AID STATION – as runners finish a lap, there is an aid station providing basic snacks, sandwiches, soups, a variety of GU’s and gels, and Skratch hydration.
DROP BAGS – there will be an area for a drop bag that will be accessible to you after each lap.
LITTER – Y’ALL, please do not litter. Last year runners did not do a great job of picking up around the start/finish area. 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. Last year, I found bib numbers on the ground – YIKES – but choose to believe we will all do better this year.
THANK THE VOLUNTEERS! – we could not put on our events without volunteers. Please be kind and thank them. If you are interested in volunteering at future events, please reach out to Michael at volunteer@
ZERO TOLERANCE EVENTS – 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 (races@seattlerunningclub.org) or the SRC president (president@seattlerunningclub.
NORTHWEST TRAIL RUNS & PACIFIC MULTISPORTS – our partner with the Cougar Series and Bridle Trails is Northwest Trail Runs, a local company that puts on trail races year round from 5k to 50k and trail relays like Moran Constitutional Relay. Check out their schedule here.
Pacific Multisports is a Bellingham based company that times events such as Chuckanut 50k, Ski to Sea, the Bellingham Marathon, Hamster Endurance Runs, and many more. We appreciate them making the trip south and bringing their expertise to Bridle Trails.
See you Saturday!
Gretchen Walla // Bridle Trails & Cougar Series RD