April 19, 2025 12K·Half·50K
2025 Partnership with the Vert Running Series Series!
Vert! Get Yours! The Vert Running Series is a four-race series based on points from your best finish in one of the first three events of the year, plus the championship event, North Bend Skyline 30k. Overall series winners will receive gear prizes for the top 5 in all divisions worth over $5000.
Squak Mountain Half-Marathon will now be a qualifying race for points in the Vert Running Series by Mountain Running Races. Simply opt into the series when you sign up for the half marathon.
Squak Mountain will take your breath away – both the views and the elevation gain! It’s not our steepest climb, but your quads will get a good workout, and it will be worth every step! While only a short drive from Seattle, Squak Mountain State Park feels like a wilderness solitude. The park features miles of well-maintained trails and beautiful views of the surrounding mountains.
For this race, we are offering 12km, half-marathon and 50km distances.
Woodland Speeders Kid’s Race
As part of our Woodland Speeders program, we offer free kid’s races at all of our events. Parents are welcome to run with their kiddos. You can register your child during the registration process for your own race or sign them up later. The course at Squak is a fun interpretive nature loop with good singletrack, flat, and is 0.5 miles long. See schedule below for start time. See below for map.
Detailed Race Description
Squak Mountain is arguably one of our most challenging trail races and a staff favorite! We’ve changed the course around a bit this year and we think you’ll like the differences. Instead of multiple confusing loops, we have simplified the courses. Although, it still isn’t super straight forward and while we mark our courses very well we encourage you to study the map before the event. Please see the color-coded map below for the order of trails in which you will run and email us if you have any questions.
All distances will begin with a steady but significant climb. The 12k will then split off from the Half course and head towards the summit aid station, while the Half and 50k runners will continue on up to summit the Southeast Peak of Squak. The Half course will then follow trails along the north side of Squak before arriving at the Summit Aid for the first time. Then after completing another loop using some of the Chybinski Loop and summiting the West Peak of Squak the Half course will pass by the Summit aid stations again. All distances will descend west past the old historic Bullitt homestead remnants. This trail is super fun, fast, and technical! While the Half and 12k runners will then be enjoying excellent post-race refreshments, the 50k runners will get to enjoy the Half loop again! Then after passing the lap aid station a second time they will head out again and do a 5 mile loop. It will travel the initial part of the first climb, cut west after 1000′ of gain, and link back up with the Bullitt Gorge Trail Descent all the way to a rewarding finish!
Finisher swag
Every finisher at an Evergreen Trail Run event receives a piece of handmade finisher swag! We make our awards using solar power in Anacortes, Washington.
HOW WE ARE HELPING SAVE THE PLANET
There are no higher stakes than being kind to the earth; we care deeply about keeping our planet viable for the next generation.
To that end, we organize our events with an eye towards minimizing our impact on the planet. Read more here.
We Welcome All
Committed to Making All Feel Welcome
Evergreen Trail Runs is making a new effort to make sure that everyone feels welcome and safe at our running events and in our trail running community. There is space for all on the trails. We have a non-binary registration option and a non-binary category for overall awards.
If you have a suggestion or idea for how we can improve our events in this regard, please let us know!
Race Notes:
Squak Mountain is comprised of two courses: a 12K loop and a half-marathon loop. The 50K runners get to complete two half-marathon loops and a bonus 5-mile loop – lucky! Both courses start and finish at the main Squak Mountain Trailhead.
The trails will be open to other users during the event, including equestrians on the first small loop, and hikers. See our FAQ page for more information about sharing the trails.
There will be aid stations throughout the course with volunteers to help, food to eat and hydration to refuel. And of course, there will be an assortment of yummy food and treats waiting for you at the finish line.
This is a cupless race. All runners should carry with them a refillable container that they can run with. There will be a limited number of cups for emergency situations.
Squak Mountain is a Washington State Park, which means that a Discover Pass is needed to park. See the Directions section below for more information.
Courses and aid stations
12K course
Half marathon & 50K course
Directions
Registration
Online registration will close the Friday before the race at noon.
12K:
Regular price: $57
December 1: $62
March 1: $67
Race day: $72
Half Marathon:
Regular price: $68
December 1: $73
March 1: $78
Race day: $83
50K:
Regular price: $92
December 1: $97
March 1: $102
Race day: $104
Parking
There is very limited parking! Please carpool!
The 50K runners will receive priority to park at the Squak Mountain trailhead/May Valley Loop trailhead.
When the lot fills up, please park on S.E. 135th St. in the Sunset Valley Farms neighborhood and walk to the start/finish.
Give yourself ample time to get to the race, pick up your bib, and get to the start line. Please stay on the pavement when you park in this neighborhood, not on the grass near the roadside ditch.
May Valley Loop Trailhead: 21492 SE May Valley Rd
Event registration is conditional on receiving Special Use Permit from WA State Parks.
Schedule
Packet pickup begins at 6:15am
Pre-race briefing before each event start
Race Starts
7:00am: 50K
9:00am: Half marathon
9:30am: 12k
10:00am: Kid’s Race
12:00pm: 12k Brunch Run
Cutoff Times
12:00pm: Lap aid station (mile 13)
12:30pm: Access Aid (mile 19)
2:30pm: Summit aid station (mile 22.7)
5:00pm: Course closed
Youth Pricing
Participants 24 years of age and under automatically receive a discount of 20% on their registration fee.
Evergreen Trails is proud to serve GU Energy products on course.
We are Trail Sisters approved! That means that we have made a commitment to provide women the race day they deserve. Learn more about what that means.
Evergreen Trails is proud to have Tailwind as our official hydration sponsor.
Squak was formed on the idea of providing reliable, readily available, and functional outdoor goods without charging extra simply for the name-brand. All participants receive a discount on their own Squak.
Locally made Partner’s Crackers provides post race snacks to all runners.
Washington Trails Association
Evergreen Trail Runs wants to do all we can to support our local PNW community. That’s why all of the Evergreen races support the Washington Trails Association. Both Evergreen and the WTA support environmental stewardship and the protection of our public lands.
PDF Course Map
Below is a high quality downloadable race map. If you’d like to open an online interactive course map, scroll just a little further down.
Please note that distances and elevations noted below and on maps below are approximate and are derived from online mapping programs. Your recorded distance and elevation gain on race day may vary.
Elevation Profiles
12K
Half
50K
Squak Course Map
Kid’s Race Course Map
0.4 miles, flat
Elevation gain:
12K: 1800′
Half marathon: 3400′
50K: 8300′
Aid station locations:
12K: 3.4 miles
Half marathon: 6.2, 9.7 miles
50K: 6.2, 9.7, 13.0, 19.2, 22.7, 26.0 miles
50k Loop order:
Two brown loops
Directions
The park is located just south of Issaquah, Washington. The address for the main entrance of the park (where the race starts/finishes) is 21492 SE May Valley Rd., Issaquah, Washington 98027.
From I-90, take exit 17. Head south on Front Street, which turns into Issaquah-Hobart Road. Drive 4.5 miles, then turn right on S.E. May Valley Road. Drive 1.5 miles and turn right into the park. If the lot is full, please park on nearby S.E. 135th St. Do NOT park on May Valley Rd.
Discover Pass
Please note that you will need a Discover Pass to park. To purchase a discover pass, visit www.discoverpass.wa.gov.
Race Location
21492 SE May Valley Rd Issaquah, Washington 98027