By Polly Mikula
The Cirque Series broke trail in New England with two new races. On June 7, runners raced up Cannon Mountain in Franconia, New Hampshire and this past Saturday, June 28, they tackled “The Beast of the East,” Killington Mountain. Cirque is also adding Crystal Mountain, Washington, to its national lineup of eight races this year.
Over 400 racers participated in the debut at Killington, according to Brian Montgomery of the Killington Group who helped bring the event to town. Organizers had capped the debut race at 500, but hope to reach 600 participants next year when the race returns, and grow it to 1,000 in its third year at The Beast.
“Racers loved the Killington course because it was so challenging,” said Montgomery.
Killington Mountain offered an 8.2-mile, 3,010-foot vertical course with spectacular views of the Green Mountains. The race started at K-1 sending runners immediately up Snowdon Mountain, then to the top of Killington Peak before descending by Skye Peak to Bear Mountain, then back up Bearly trail to “one last spicy surprise,” cirqueseries.com noted. “Needle’s Eye is a steep quarter mile finisher with a staggering 45% degree climb.” From there, it’s a quick descent down Bittersweet to the finish back at K-1.
The top racer, Daniel Curts of Lebanon, New Hampshire, finished the course in 58 minutes. He was followed by Jackson Cole of Missoula, Montana; and then by Owen Wright of Lakewood, Colorado.
Colleen Sands, of Rindge, New Hampshire, had the fastest female time of 1 hour 16 minutes. She was followed by Jenna Gigliotti, of Amherst, Massachusetts; Haley Heinrich, of Newbury, New Hampshire.
Like every Cirque race, the day ended with a festive party celebrating every runner’s effort and adventure.
Cirque Series founder Julian Carr wasn’t always a trail runner; his roots are on the snow as a renowned big-mountain skier, X Games gold medalist, world record holder for the highest invert on skis, and appearances in seven Warren Miller films. After spending his winters chasing deep powder, Carr turned to mountain biking in the summer, until a 2013 trail run with his dog ignited a new passion.
In 2015, he launched the Cirque Series to fill the void of mid-distance, high-alpine events that blend physical challenge with natural beauty summiting at least one peak in every race.
Until now, Cirque has thrived in the Mountain West, Alaska and Europe. Its 2025 expansion to the East Coast marks a significant moment for New England’s booming trail scene, where the rugged terrain of the White and Green Mountains rivals the West in both difficulty and reverence.
“I started Cirque to create the kind of mountain races I was looking for, competitions that are both extremely fun and undeniably challenging, summiting peaks in most efficient manner possible, with a party waiting for you at the finish line,” said Carr. “Bringing the series to the East Coast is especially meaningful. The terrain is raw, the community is passionate, and these mountains match the grit of the runners who call them home.”
To support its New England debut, Cirque has partnered with Tom Hooper, founder of SIX03 Endurance, a New Hampshire-based trail running organization. Hooper manages some of the region’s most prestigious trail races including the Loon Mountain Race, Sunapee Scramble, and Kismet Cliff Run.
“Trail running is still in its infancy, and it’s been incredible to watch how the SIX03 Endurance community has helped shape its growth while putting New England on the map as a trail running hub,” said Hooper in a news release. “To enhance a sport that welcomes all paces and abilities, events like Cirque are uniquely positioned to develop as inclusive and deeply rewarding experiences for diverse athletes.”
Montgomery met Hooper at the Boston Run and Outdoor Expo in March and encouraged him to bring the Cirque Series to Killington. “Then it was just off and running,” Montgomery said. “He then introduced me to Julian, and it was really fantastic from the beginning. It was really the Cirque guys, Tom and Julian, to have me with boots on the ground with them… keeping them positive and encouraging them when they hit obstacles.”
“The Killington Group has been an exceptional partner for this year’s Cirque Series race — from day one, they were true collaborators,” stated Julian Carr. “They promoted and marketed the event with genuine enthusiasm, supported event logistics in a big way, secured us top-notch housing, and their generous cash contribution helped us create one of the most exciting standout prize purses in the region. Brian and the entire Killington Group Team were instrumental in making this weekend a success, and are one of the big reasons we are excited to be bringing Cirque Series back to Killington next year,” Carr noted.
The Killington Group donated to the prize winnings, doubling the cash purse for the top female and top male for a total prize of $2,000 each.
With over 4,200 runners expected in the 2025 eight event running series, Cirque bills itself as the largest trail race series in the U.S. It’s known for its high-energy, scenic races on renowned ski mountains, as well as for bringing people together and supporting the year-round outdoor recreation economies of mountain communities. A portion of proceeds from each race support local trail conservation efforts.
For more info, visit: cirqueseries.com.
Colleen Sands, overall winner of the Killington Cirque mountain race event, accepts the additional $1000 cash prize from Brian Montgomery of The Killington Group.
Dan Curts crossed the finish line first with a time of 58 minutes.
