The Cottontail 6 & 12 Hour is a brutally beautiful run through one of the best parks in Washington State, for as many hours as you see fit!
The Cottontail 6 & 12 Hour is our beloved Carkeek 12-Hour loop, but run in the opposite direction so it’s like A WHOLE NEWWWW WORRRRLD [Picture us singing that like Aladdin does, obviously]. It’s honestly REALLY ridiculously fun [See also: really ridiculously tough], and you can run for twelve hours or for six. Run as few or as many hours as you like!
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 lap at a time. Every single runner will get something awesome simply for showing up to run, but this isn’t your typical medal-laden sort of endeavor. (We hand-make our bibs, count your laps with star stickers, and the first time we directed this race, winners won giant stuffed dragons. Winners have won a variety of things over the years, including bright pink and/or green garden gnomes.)
In addition to being heaps of F-U-N, our races are also low-impact: You won’t find any paper products at the Cottontail 6- & 12-Hour, and we strive to have less than one full bag of trash at day’s end. We also avidly support local businesses, which means as much aid (and prizes!) as possible will come from local businesses. Speaking of aid, we’ll have some of the best out there. We’ll bring you awesome fuel as your legs run loop after epic loop, and we’ll have great, locally-sourced prizes to raffle off throughout the day, too.
This race, like Carkeek in the fall, is an Endless Trails fundraiser, so any and all funds that don’t go to race-related costs (including awesome aid and prizes) will go to our 501(c)3 nonprofit to support trail work, trail education, and trail advocacy throughout the Northwest region. Every little bit helps, and all of it goes back to good and much-needed work on local and beloved Northwest trails.
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Fun, challenging, laid back trail run
This is a 1.93 mile loop through Carkeek Park. Each loop has ~450 feet of gain. There are two brutal hills on the loop, but enough of the course is … MORE
This is a 1.93 mile loop through Carkeek Park. Each loop has ~450 feet of gain. There are two brutal hills on the loop, but enough of the course is runnable to make it fun to strategize where you’re gonna find some speed. The race is very laid back. The coordinators at the aid station were fantastic and kept the encouragement, electrolytes, coffee, and treats flowing through the day. It was also cool to look for Easter eggs on the course. This is a great race on its own or as a training run/ diagnostic as it’s pretty inexpensive and well supported.
Toughest fixed time race. EVER. PERIOD!
Small event on a 1.83 mile course. Almost all single track and lots of wooden steps. Nice run through the trees Tons of elevation change throughout the course. Nice views … MORE
Small event on a 1.83 mile course. Almost all single track and lots of wooden steps. Nice run through the trees Tons of elevation change throughout the course. Nice views of Puget Sound. Plenty of fuel at the start/finish. This course if VERY challenging… very, very challenging. Be ready to climb a lot.