Carkeek 12-hour

The Carkeek 12-hour race is tough, and also ridiculously fun. We have both a 12-hour, and a 6-hour option. With gorgeous views of the Sound, varied terrain (rolling trails, steep stairs, a section or two that might generously be called “flat”), and a festive atmosphere, we think this is a race you (and your family, and friends, and well-behaved, leashed dogs) will just keep coming back to – one 1.93-mile (or .54 mile, for the short loop) lap at a time. Run for twelve hours, run for six. Run as few or as many hours as you like.

These races are also low-impact: you won’t find any paper products at Carkeek, and we support local businesses (as much aid as possible will come from the Seattle area). Speaking of aid, we’ll have some of the best aid out there. We’ll be partnering with local and like-minded businesses to bring you awesome foodstuffs and prizes to help keep you running lap after lap, all day long. We also provide re-usable mugs for you to use throughout the day, though if you have a favorite coffee mug, you’re of course welcome to bring your own. We also have some BIG and FESTIVELY FUN surprises in the works to help celebrate the 11th annual running of these terrifying loops.

Carkeek’s run on a counter-clockwise, 1.93-mile loop in Seattle’s Carkeek Park, with an additional .54-mile loop open once the run rises (to give you more distance options). You’re welcome to run as few or as many loops as you like, but here’s what to expect on each loop: steep stairs, rolling trails, gorgeous vistas, loads of single-track, lots of up and lots of down. Each loop contains 436′ of vertical gain, so expect to (have fun, yes!, and) be challenged. It’s going to hurt, but it’s also going to be a blast, we promise. (Maps? We don’t need no stinking maps. No, but really. We don’t have maps, so if you need one, this might not be the “race” for you. We’re old-school over here, and super low-key. We don’t sweat the small stuff, so hopefully you don’t either!)

Halloween weekend! Come run before you go out! Start & finish beside Puget Sound, in Carkeek Park. For the 12-Hour Run, gates to the park open around 5:30 am, which is when check-in starts, and the run begins at 6 AM. (You’ll need a headlamp for the first few laps!) If you’re doing the 6-Hour, you can start at either 6 AM, or at noon. If you’re electing to sleep in and start at noon, check-in starts at the start/finish at 11:30 AM and the run begins at noon. For both races, expect pre-race announcements just a few minutes before the start. Both races finish at 6 PM – any laps finished after that time can’t be counted toward your day’s total.

We’ll have fantastic and extraordinary prizes for men’s and women’s 12- & 6-hour winners, and a bevy of random raffle prizes for lots of other runners (and volunteers), too! All participants get finishers “awards” but they aren’t going to be your standard ultra prizes, so if you’re looking for a metal medal as opposed to a ring-pop medal, this race might not be your cup of (pumpkin-flavored) tea.