The Mountain Goat Hills

I am not sure when I ran the Mountain Goat Run for the first time. I started running in 2014 and knew of the race as being a great local event. The concept of the race is very local. Run up hills on one side of town then go to the other side of town and do it again. A total of 10 miles. Sure, I can do this. 

The first time I did it, I didn't know about the training runs. That isn’t true, I knew about them but chose not to do them. I was training for distance events. This wouldn’t be a problem. With that being said, let me tell you about the hills of the Mountain Goat Run.

The first mile is flat and fast. You make the turn onto Bellevue and immediately on Summit. This is where it gets interesting. The hills are starting to show themselves. After a short time on Summit, you turn onto Stolp.

It doesn’t look that bad. But after you crest the first part, you see it continues. And continues. And continues. You are still going up as you pass mile 2. Around the back side of the reservoir…still going up. My ears are popping from the elevation gain.

I headed towards the park and the Mountain Goat Statue. Still some hills but tolerable. I pass the statue, and it is a long downhill to a flat section past mile 5 all the way to mile 6.

I thought Stolp went on forever…Colvin is forever and then some more. The only good part is hearing the drummers to cover all the curse words coming from my mouth.

At least after Stolp, I had some rolling hills and ultimately a downhill. I make the right onto Comstock and it is a slow gradual incline. No recovery here.

I had heard talk about this hill in Thornden Park but until you see it and have to run it. Any thought I had of the talk being nothing but an urban legend went immediately out of me with my next breath.

It isn’t very long but is one of the steeper inclines. I am not sure if the next part really happened or if I was hallucinating. But there were people there cheering and running you up the hill. I think I even read things written on the pavement.

I crested the hill, and it was a long slow decent back to Salina Street and the finish. I had survived the Mountain Goat.

Do you have a favorite hill or Mountain Goat story? Feel free to share it on the Mountain Goat Run Facebook page.