Galbraith Mountain Community Race Series (Or: The Art of Showing Up)

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Mt. Baker


Back in Portland, I never ran races on Forest Park trails. Why would I pay to run trails I already ran every day? Plus, I had plenty of running friends to explore with.

Bellingham is different. I moved here in February 2025, and I'm still figuring out the trails. And I don't really have running friends yet. So when I saw the Galbraith Mountain Trail Series — three races on the 2nd Saturday of November, December, and January — I thought: maybe this is how I do both. Learn the trails AND meet people. Due to my schedule, I was able to partake in the last race in the series. I picked the long course: 15.6 miles, about 2,600 feet of climbing (according to my Strava). Classic PNW winter conditions — cloudy, 43 degrees, muddy.


Me at the start

The long race was tiny, maybe 15-20 people. Most of them took off at the start, and I never saw them again. Things spread out fast. So I didn't really get a chance to chat with anyone during the race, but honestly? It was nice to run Galbraith without having to think about where to turn. I just followed the flags and let my legs do their thing. 

The course itself was a blast — good climbs and the downhills were super runnable.



When I finished, there were maybe 3-4 people left at the finish area, already starting to break things down. But I got some hot apple crumble (!) and cheered on the last few runners who came in shortly after me. Oh, and I am pretty sure I came first in my age group. I might have been the only one in it! 

So did I make trail friends? Not really. But I had a good day and was happy with my time — 3:23 for 15.6 miles and a good amount of climbing. I just have to keep showing up. The trail buddies will happen.

Next up: trying out the Bellingham Trail Running Club and volunteering at some local races.

Stay tuned.



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