Hood to Coast

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The Nike Hood to Coast Relay is a unique long-distance relay race held in Oregon annually, traditionally on the Friday and Saturday of the last full weekend in August. It is the longest major relay in North America and the largest in the world in terms of total participation. The course runs 197 miles (317 km) from Timberline Lodge on the slopes of Mount Hood, the tallest peak in Oregon, through the city of Portland and across the Coast Range to the town of Seaside on the Oregon Coast.

Walkers and high school teams may choose to compete in the Portland to Coast Walk or Portland to Coast High School Challenge respectively, both of which start in downtown Portland instead of Mount Hood.

1 History
2 Teams
3 Course
4 Logistics and atmosphere
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History

The relay was started by Portland architect Bob Foote, who got the idea from a similar relay race running from Roseburg to Coos Bay, Oregon. The first relay in 1982 drew eight teams who ran from Timberline to Kiwanda Beach near Pacific City, Oregon. The relay grew rapidly to over 400 teams in 1986; the following year the finish line was moved to Seaside where it remains today. Since then, the race has become very popular, attracting teams of elite runners and fun runners alike.^[1]

[edit] Teams

Open to all interested competitors, but limited to 1,000 twelve-person teams, Hood to Coast has filled its limit on opening day for the past eight years. Teams are chosen by lottery from the entries postmarked on the opening day of registration. The Portland to Coast Walk and High School Challenge are limited to 400 and 50 teams respectively; entries are accepted on a first-come-first-served basis until all spaces are filled.^[2]

Because of the long lag time between registration and race day, team rosters can and do change for various reasons, and as a result registered teams often find themselves looking for replacement runners. Conversely, as race day approaches, individual runners interested in doing the relay try to join a registered team needing a replacement runner.^[3]^[4]

[edit] Course

The 197 mile (317 km) Hood to Coast course consists of 36 legs, of which each team member must run at least three in rotation. The legs vary in length from 3.3 miles (5.3 km) to 7.4 miles (11.9 km), and the terrain for each leg can vary from level terrain to steep uphills and/or downhills. Consequently, a runner may run between 13.9 miles (22.4 km) and 19.1 miles (30.7 km). Teams in Hood to Coast must complete the course within a 31 hour time limit (an average of 9 minutes 30 seconds a mile). Start times on Friday are staggered between 8 a.m. and 7:45 p.m. in waves of about 20 teams every 15 minutes.^[5] All teams are required to finish the race by 9 p.m. on Saturday.

The course starts at Timberline Lodge at the 6,000 foot level of Mount Hood, and proceeds down Timberline Road to Government Camp. This first leg drops 2,000 feet in elevation over about 6 miles; the next two legs from Government Camp to Rhododendron have a combined elevation drop of 2,300 feet over about 10 miles.

Runners proceed west along U.S. Route 26 to the towns of Sandy and Gresham, where the route proceeds along the Springwater Trail to southeast Portland. The route then proceeds through residential neighborhoods and crosses the Hawthorne Bridge into downtown Portland.

Runners proceed along Naito Parkway in downtown Portland along the west bank of the Willamette and onto U.S. Route 30 to St. Helens. From there onward, the route passes through rural Mist and Birkenfeld, and eventually entering remote backroads, sometimes unpaved, to the finish line in Seaside.

Portland to Coast and the High School Challenge follow the last 24 legs (127 miles) of the course, starting from the Hawthorne Bridge. Each participant in these relays runs at least two legs in rotation.

[edit] Logistics and atmosphere

Each twelve-person team is allowed two vehicles no larger than a standard-sized van. While the vans are generally expected to follow the race course, certain narrower portions of the course require one van to make a detour. Teams usually give themselves original names and decorate their vehicles according to a theme based on the name. The race organizers present awards for the best name and best van design.^[6]

Teams are expected to provide their own provisions, including food and water; there are no aid stations on the course, nor is there prize money for the winners. ^[7] The teams compete in divisions based on gender makeup (men's, women's, and mixed) and age (based on the age of the youngest participant).

All teams that include at least one member living within a 50-mile radius of Portland are required to provide three volunteers to ensure an adequate number of race officials and support staff.