Carkeek 12 Hour

THE TOUGHEST 12-HOUR OUT THERE. (BE AFRAID. BE VERY AFRAID.)

Carkeek has a reputation as the toughest 12-hour out there. If you’ve run it before, you know why: Lots of gain (often in the form of stairs) and frequently lots of unpredictable fall weather, too. Mostly, though, we want to see you challenge yourself and get into the spooky spirit of Halloween.

The EIGHTEENTH annual Carkeek 12-(& 6-)Hour will be on Saturday, October 19th, 2024!

Running for 12 hours or 6 hours can sound intimidating, but we promise everyone does it the same way: One step at a time, one loop at a time. The 1.93-mile loop (or even harder 0-54-mile short loop, for those who have truly lost it) helps you rack up the miles and get more time on your feet. We promise the smiles generally outnumber the complaints, and no, the number of stairs each loop does not actually change.

Running for six hours or twelve hours is way more fun than you think, and while it’s hard, the time will probably fly faster than you think, too. Yes, Carkeek hurts, always, but it’s also always a blast, and a super fun way to leap into Halloween and seasonal costumed shenanigans.

In addition to being tough, this race is also meant, in its entirety, to be FUN. And, as it has historically happened around Halloween weekend, we are, as always, encouraging you to bring out your best Halloween costumes for a lap or several. In fact, we’ll have additional prizes for the best costumes. (And if you want to rock a costume for the entire run? We salute you and applaud your spirit!)

We strongly support pets in costumes, too, and have been known to find special prizes for extraordinary canine cuteness.

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!

On top of being HEAPS OF FUN, our 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 reusable 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.