The 7 Hills of Kirkland offers a choice of three routes. See the Maps page to learn more about the routes.
The Traditional 7 Hills course is approximately 40 miles long with about 3,000 feet of climbing. It loops around Kirkland, going over the following hills:
• Market • Juanita • Seminary • Norway • Kingsgate • Winery • Rose •
The Metric Century route extends eastward from the 7 Hills course. The Metric Century has 11 hills, with 4,600 feet of climbing. This route includes the following hills in addition to the standard 7 Hills:
• Education-outbound • Novelty • McWhirter • Education-return •
The full Century course continues eastward from the Metric route, through rural King County into the Snoqualmie valley and north into Snohomish County. The Century course has 14 hills, with about 7,000 feet of climbing. It has the following climbs in addition to the Metric climbs:
• Union • Stillwater • High Bridge • Maltby •
Registration
There are 3 ways to register for the 7 Hills of Kirkland.
- Online
- By Mail
- Day of event at Kirkland Marina Park.
Show up at Marina Park on the Kirkland waterfront on Memorial Day and register between 6:00AM and 9:00AM.
See the Registration page to register.
This popular event is growing! Invite your friends, co-workers, and ride team! Registrations are limited to 1,500.
Start / Finish
All ride routes begin and end at Kirkland’s Marina Park, 25 Lake Shore Plaza, Kirkland, WA. Click Here for a map.
From I-405 take exit 18 SR908 (NE 85th St), heading west. This becomes Central Way. Turn left at the light onto Lake Street. At the next light, turn right on Kirkland Avenue. Marina Park is at the end of Kirkland Avenue.
Ride start and day of registration will begin at 6:00AM. Riders registering on the day of the event can pay with credit card, cash, or check.
Departure times for each route:
Century – depart between 6:00AM and 7:00AM
Metric – depart between 7:00AM and 8:00AM
Traditional – depart between 8:00AM and 9:00AM
The course officially opens at 6:00AM. Please start early, as all support services end at 4:30PM. Support stop hours are timed to the above departure times for each route.
At the Marina Park finish line, present your rider number for a serving of strawberry shortcake, freshly prepared and served by our smiling volunteers.
Parking
There is limited parking around the marina. Parking is generally available in the surrounding area. However, check to make sure you’re not in a restricted space or zone. If you park on adjacent streets, please respect private property and driveways.
Carpooling and transit use is highly recommended.
Need a ride or want to provide a ride? You can reduce carbon footprints and ease parking congestion through carpooling. Here are some available resources.
King County Metro: www.rideshareonline.com
Craig’s List – Seattle: seattle.craigslist.org
Craig’s List – Portland: portland.craigslist.org
Visit King County Metro’s Trip Planner at tripplanner.kingcounty.gov to location transit information. For the trip destination use “Kirkland Transit Center.” Marina Park is approximately two blocks west of the Transit Center.
To find out more about parking in downtown Kirkland see the City’s Parking webpage. Be careful when parking in the City’s parking garage, the low ceiling won’t accommodate roof-top racks.
Event Photos
Thanks to our in-kind partner Woodinville Bicycle, who will be taking event pictures of cyclists! Smile — or grit your teeth if you must — up that hill, and check after the event for your fabulous look in your 7 Hills of Kirkland jersey. Photos are free and will be available Tuesday after the race at www.woodinvillebicycle.com.
Helmets are Required
HELMETS APPROVED BY CPSC ARE REQUIRED!
Support
There are support stops every 15-20 miles along all ride routes. All support stops have food, water and electrolytes, first aid kits, and restrooms.
The 7 Hills of Kirkland travels on open public roads. The routes offer fantastic scenery but are also narrow and winding in many places. All riders are required to follow traffic rules.
- Be courteous to local drivers and traffic
- Stop at all stop signs and traffic signals
- Ride single file
- Announce “on your left” when passing other riders
- Control your speed when going downhill
- Move completely off the roadway when stopping, do not block intersections or driveways
This is, as all major rides, a self-supported ride. Riders need to be prepared to manage minor repairs on their own. While we will have limited tech support (bike techs at support stops, roving vehicles, and volunteer support bikers with basic tools), riders are encouraged to ensure their equipment is in top working condition prior to the event.
Remember, this is a ride, not a race. There isn’t a mass start and there is no time clock. For your safety, avoid pace lines, respect traffic laws, be considerate of vehicles, pedestrians, dogs, cats, etc. Have fun, smile, create friendships, and enjoy the day.
Volunteering
Volunteer information and online sign-up can be found on the 7 Hills page at SignUp.com. Volunteers get free rider registration for the following year!
About Kirkland
Kirkland is a vibrant waterfront destination on the shores of Lake Washington. With an unparalleled blend of outdoor recreation, art, dining and boutique shopping, Kirkland makes a perfect weekend destination.
Just east of Seattle, Kirkland’s charming lakeside downtown is home to award-winning hotels, wineries and restaurants. Throughout the year Kirkland hosts a dynamic repertoire of events spanning art openings and performances to athletic events, festivals and outdoor concerts.
Make a weekend out of your visit to Kirkland! Plan your stay at www.explorekirkland.com.
