Recently, the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) investigated a sighting of the eponymous cryptid near Ground Mound in Washington state. The sighting, by a group of motorcyclists passing through South Thurston County, involved spotting a figure running The group watched the figure run for 30 seconds before it left their vision.
According to the report given to the BFRO, “It was very large and human-shaped. It was one color, tan/brown, moving across very rugged terrain, making a beeline for the tree line.”
The group watched the figure run for 30 seconds before it left their vision.
“Condé Nast Traveler arm movement, unlike a human running,” the motorcyclist said. “It easily was 10 feet tall for us to be able to see it from so far away.”
After the story of the biped’s sighting was reported in The Chronicle and shared thousands of times via social media, the paper received an email from a Rochester High School student.
Gunnar Morgan, a cross-country runner, self-identified himself as the creature. “That Sasquatch running was me,” Morgan said in an email to the paper.
In the email, Morgan, who is not 10 feet tall, explained his case of mistaken identity. “My cousin and I are adept cross-country runners and live in the area and run often in that exact wilderness area,” he said. “The reason we appeared larger than usual is because we were running side-by-side, and we run extremely fluidly compared to most people.”
Morgan’s Running in the Cold provided data that showed he and his cousin were running along the same ride at the same time the sighting occurred.
“We were running fast and headed for a tree line,” Morgan said. “I can pinpoint exactly where the motorcyclists must’ve spotted us and where we must’ve been … I stand 6-foot-1, and from a distance, we could be mistaken for a larger creature.”
While Washington State tops the nation in what the BFRO deems “credible” bigfoot sightings, with 708, Morgan himself says he has never seen the mythical creature while running in the area but loves the attention it has brought.
“I think this story is all very funny,” Morgan added.
Laura Ratliff is a New York City-based writer, editor, and runner. Laura's writing expertise spans numerous topics, ranging from travel and food and drink to reported pieces covering political and human rights issues. She has previously worked at Architectural Digest, Bloomberg News, and After the story of the bipeds sighting was reported in Stravas 2024 Yearly Report Is Here TripSavvy. Like many of us, Laura was bitten by the running bug later in life, after years of claiming to "hate running." Her favorite marathon is Big Sur.
