Upload / Capture
Ever heard of Hood to Coast?
It happens every August in Oregon...
This year marks the 41st year of Hood to Coast...also known as the Mother of All Relays.
Check out these 13 fun facts about Hood to Coast:
The Hood to Coast relay draws a big crowd to the Pacific Northwest...
With so many runners + two vehicles per team, Hood to Coast begins at Mount Hood's Timberline Lodge with staggered start times on Friday, August 25, 2023, from 3 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Teams have 36 hours to run 196 miles to Seaside, Ore.
1982.
You know, back when...
After running marathons and ultras, Bob Foote wanted a bigger challenge...
In 2016, actor and comedian Kevin Hart ran the Hood to Coast relay with a Nike team.
He even recapped the experience in this video:
The Hood to Coast Relay draws runners from around the world, including:
The race is so popular, it sells out every year within minutes. Beginning in the 1990s, Hood to Coast implemented a lottery system to select participating teams.
Hood to Coast Teams have 36 hours to run from Timberline Lodge to Seaside, Ore.
But some teams, finish in half that amount of time.
Set back in 1995, Team Nike Mambu Baddu still holds the fastest Hood to Coast course record.
Here's a little reminder age is just a number...
Team 70 Rocks set a new Hood to Coast record in 2021 for being the oldest team to finish the 196-mile relay.
Everybody on the team is 70 years or older.
“When I heard we needed someone to run an extra leg, I volunteered that I’d be happy to fill in,” said runner Gene Dykes in a recent interview. “After all, I run 100- and 200-mile races all the time.”
Last year Team Forrest Stump finished the Hood to Coast relay.
Here's the thing...
Every member of the team is an adaptive athlete...
Team Forrest Stump is the first team of all adaptive athletes to finish the race.
Over the past 10 years, the Hood to Coast relay has raised nearly $7 million for the Providence Cancer Institute.
Hood to Coast is the second-largest road race for cancer fundraising in the United States.
Portland resident Larry Dutko holds the record for running every Hood to Coast Relay since it began back in 1982.
He ran with his team "Dead Jocks in a Box" in 2022 for the 40th anniversary of Hood to Coast, and passed away earlier this year.
This year Hood to Coast is dedicating the final lap of the relay to Larry Dutko.
"Let’s honor his memory as we run Leg 36 and wear LD40 on our team wrist wraps," according to the 2023 Hood to Coast Handbook.
If you really want a peek inside what it's like to run nearly 200 miles from Mount Hood to Seaside, Ore., watch the movie.
Hood to Coast was released in 2011, and follows four teams from start to finish, along with many of their life-changing backstories and struggles that pushed them to the starting line.
When you gotta go, you gotta go. Right?
Just about every runner has a "bathroom emergency" story.
And while there are long stretches without access to a bathroom along some sections of the Hood to Coast relay, race organizers know runners need a place to go.
The late Larry Dutko (see #9: It Was a Good Run) and his team "Dead Jocks in a Box" are known to have been one of the very first teams to come up with van decorations, according to the 2023 Hood to Coast Handbook.
Creative team names have been a Hood to Coast tradition, from the beginning.
Check out some of these 2023 Hood to Coast team names:
Runner Roger Davis Jr. ran the Hood to Coast relay with members of the Cleveland-based running club "Run with the Winners" two years ago.
Roger was also featured in The Rundown:
"What are you doing out here?" an old guy on the steps outside Timberline Lodge asked me.
"I'm training for a 100-mile race in a few weeks," I told the man.
"It was nice to meet you. I'm Bob Foote, the founder of Hood to Coast."
Tell us about it in the comments or create a WeeView about your race experience.
Login to your account to leave a comment.
We offer opportunities for sponsored gear and race entries for sharing your reviews.
