Hood to Coast
Encyclopedia
The Hood to Coast Relay is an overnight, long-distance relay race
held in the U.S. state
of Oregon
, annually in late August, traditionally on the Friday and Saturday before the Labor Day
weekend. It is one of the longest major relays in North America
and the largest in the world in terms of total participation (15,000 in Hood To Coast Relay, 20,400 total participants, including Portland To Coast Walk Relay and High School Challenge Relay). The course runs 322 km (200.1 mi) from Timberline Lodge on the slopes of Mount Hood
, the tallest peak in Oregon, through the Portland
metropolitan area, and over the Oregon Coast Range
to the beach 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 are held in conjunction with the main relay and start in downtown Portland instead of Mount Hood.
near Pacific City, Oregon
. The relay grew rapidly to over 400 teams by 1986. In 1989, the finish area was moved to Seaside
where it remains today. Since then, the race has become extremely popular, attracting teams of elite and recreational runners alike.
Like many businesses, The Hood To Coast Relay is a for-profit business. While the American Cancer Society
has been a longtime sponsor, it had not been prominently promoted in race literature until Foote himself was diagnosed and successfully treated for melanoma
in 2005. The race then began to take on a more aggressive approach to fundraising, and in 2010 alone, over $500,000 was raised for the American Cancer Society. In 2006, Foote's daughter, Felicia Hubber, was brought on board the family business to manage the majority of race logistics. She currently serves as Race Director.
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.
Teams start on Friday between 3:30 a.m. and 6:45 p.m. in staggered waves of approximately 20 teams every 15 minutes. Teams are computer seeded based on self-reported 10K times for each team's submitted roster, with slower teams starting earlier and faster teams later in the day. Thus the flow of teams through the 36 exchange points and finish line are even, with all teams finishing the race by the closing time of 9 p.m. on Saturday.
The course starts at Timberline Lodge at the 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) level of Mount Hood
, and proceeds down Timberline Road to Government Camp
. This first leg drops 2000 feet (609.6 m) in elevation over about 6 miles (9.7 km); the next two legs from Government Camp to Rhododendron
have a combined elevation drop of 2300 feet (701 m) over about 10 miles (16.1 km).
Runners proceed west along U.S. Route 26 to the towns of Sandy
and Gresham
, where the route proceeds along the Springwater Corridor
to the Sellwood neighborhood in southeast Portland
. The route then proceeds north through city streets and crosses the Hawthorne Bridge
west into downtown Portland.
After crossing the Hawthorne Bridge, runners proceed north along Naito Parkway in downtown Portland along the west bank of the Willamette River
and onto U.S. Route 30 to St. Helens
. From there onward, the route passes through hilly rural and sometimes unpaved backroads through the communities of Mist
and Birkenfeld on the way to the finish line in Seaside
.
The Portland to Coast Walk Relay and the High School Challenge Relay follow the last 24 legs (127 miles) of the course, starting from the Hawthorne Bridge in downtown Portland. Each participant in these relays walk or run at least two legs in rotation.
. While the vans generally follow the race course in support of their runners, certain narrower portions of the course require one van to make a detour to alleviate traffic congestion. Teams usually give themselves funny or original names and decorate their vehicles according to a theme. Race organizers announce the winners for best team name, best van design, best team outfit, and outstanding volunteer, (as voted by teams) at the PTC Awards Ceremony, Saturday evening, and on the HTC website.
Teams are expected to provide their own provisions, including food and water, and to ensure their own safety; there are no promised aid stations or police protection on the course, nor is there prize money for the winners. However, local schools and churches along the route provide sleeping areas, food, and showers at nominal cost to participants as fundraisers. Teams compete in divisions based on gender (men, women, and mixed) age (based on the age of the youngest participant) or corporate sponsor.
All teams that include at least one member living within a 90 miles (144.8 km) radius of Portland are required to provide three volunteers to ensure adequate personnel at turns and exchanges along the course race.
Relay race
During a relay race, members of a team take turns running, orienteering, swimming, cross-country skiing, biathlon, or ice skating parts of a circuit or performing a certain action. Relay races take the form of professional races and amateur games...
held in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, annually in late August, traditionally on the Friday and Saturday before the Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
weekend. It is one of the longest major relays in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and the largest in the world in terms of total participation (15,000 in Hood To Coast Relay, 20,400 total participants, including Portland To Coast Walk Relay and High School Challenge Relay). The course runs 322 km (200.1 mi) from Timberline Lodge on the slopes of Mount Hood
Mount Hood
Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...
, the tallest peak in Oregon, through the Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
metropolitan area, and over the Oregon Coast Range
Oregon Coast Range
The Oregon Coast Range, often called simply the Coast Range and sometimes the Pacific Coast Range, is a mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region, in the U.S. state of Oregon along the Pacific Ocean...
to the beach town of Seaside
Seaside, Oregon
Seaside is a city in Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. The name Seaside is derived from Seaside House, a historic summer resort built in the 1870s by railroad magnate Ben Holladay. The city's population was 6,457 at the 2010 census.-History:...
on the Oregon Coast
Oregon Coast
The Oregon Coast is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It runs generally north-south along the Pacific Ocean, forming the western border of the state; the region is bounded to the east by the Oregon Coast Range. The Oregon Coast stretches approximately from the Columbia River in the north to...
.
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 are held in conjunction with the main relay and start in downtown Portland instead of Mount Hood.
History
The relay was started by Portland architect Bob Foote, who was then president of Oregon Road Runners Club. The first relay in 1982 drew eight teams that ran from Timberline to Kiwanda BeachCape Kiwanda State Natural Area
Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area is located in Pacific City, Oregon, United States. Cape Kiwanda is on the Three Capes Scenic Route, which includes Cape Meares and Cape Lookout. Hiking to the top of Cape Kiwanda allows views of Nestucca Bay to the south and Cape Lookout to the north.A sea stack,...
near Pacific City, Oregon
Pacific City, Oregon
Pacific City is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,027 at the 2000 census...
. The relay grew rapidly to over 400 teams by 1986. In 1989, the finish area was moved to Seaside
Seaside, Oregon
Seaside is a city in Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. The name Seaside is derived from Seaside House, a historic summer resort built in the 1870s by railroad magnate Ben Holladay. The city's population was 6,457 at the 2010 census.-History:...
where it remains today. Since then, the race has become extremely popular, attracting teams of elite and recreational runners alike.
Like many businesses, The Hood To Coast Relay is a for-profit business. While the American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
has been a longtime sponsor, it had not been prominently promoted in race literature until Foote himself was diagnosed and successfully treated for melanoma
Melanoma
Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye...
in 2005. The race then began to take on a more aggressive approach to fundraising, and in 2010 alone, over $500,000 was raised for the American Cancer Society. In 2006, Foote's daughter, Felicia Hubber, was brought on board the family business to manage the majority of race logistics. She currently serves as Race Director.
Teams
Open to all interested competitors, but limited to 1,250 twelve-person teams, Hood to Coast has filled its limit on opening day for the past thirteen years. Teams each year are chosen by lottery from the entries postmarked on the opening day of registration, typically in the fall of the previous year. 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.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.
Course
The 322 km (200.1 mi) Hood to Coast course consists of 36 legs; each team member runs three in rotation. The legs vary in length from 5.7 km (3.5 mi) to 12.5 km (7.8 mi), and in terrain ranging from virtually flat to steep hills. Consequently, a runner may total between 21.9 km (13.6 mi) and 31.7 km (19.7 mi). Teams in Hood to Coast must complete the course within a 31-hour time limit (averaging under 5:50 per kilometer or 9:30 per mile).The Ravens in Da Hood team is by far the greatest and most well known Hood to Coast team of all time.Teams start on Friday between 3:30 a.m. and 6:45 p.m. in staggered waves of approximately 20 teams every 15 minutes. Teams are computer seeded based on self-reported 10K times for each team's submitted roster, with slower teams starting earlier and faster teams later in the day. Thus the flow of teams through the 36 exchange points and finish line are even, with all teams finishing the race by the closing time of 9 p.m. on Saturday.
The course starts at Timberline Lodge at the 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) level of Mount Hood
Mount Hood
Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...
, and proceeds down Timberline Road to Government Camp
Government Camp, Oregon
Government Camp is an unincorporated community located in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, south of Mount Hood and north of Tom, Dick and Harry Mountain. It is a gateway to several ski resorts, the most popular being Timberline Lodge and Mount Hood Skibowl. Also, Government Camp has its...
. This first leg drops 2000 feet (609.6 m) in elevation over about 6 miles (9.7 km); the next two legs from Government Camp to Rhododendron
Rhododendron, Oregon
Rhododendron is an unincorporated community in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. It is located within the Mount Hood Corridor, between Government Camp and Zigzag on U.S. Route 26...
have a combined elevation drop of 2300 feet (701 m) over about 10 miles (16.1 km).
Runners proceed west along U.S. Route 26 to the towns of Sandy
Sandy, Oregon
Sandy is a city located in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, and named after the nearby Sandy River. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 5,385, however the 2006 estimate shows 7,070 people....
and Gresham
Gresham, Oregon
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 90,205 people, 33,327 households, and 22,695 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,071.6 people per square mile . There were 35,309 housing units at an average density of 1,593.8 per square mile...
, where the route proceeds along the Springwater Corridor
Springwater Corridor
The Springwater Corridor Trail is a bicycle and pedestrian rail trail in the Portland metropolitan area in Oregon, United States. It follows a former railway line of the same name in its route from Boring, through Gresham, to Portland, where it ends near the Eastbank Esplanade. A large segment...
to the Sellwood neighborhood in southeast Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. The route then proceeds north through city streets and crosses the Hawthorne Bridge
Hawthorne Bridge
The Hawthorne Bridge is a truss bridge with a vertical lift that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, joining Hawthorne Boulevard and Madison Street. It is the oldest vertical-lift bridge in operation in the United States and the oldest highway bridge in Portland...
west into downtown Portland.
After crossing the Hawthorne Bridge, runners proceed north along Naito Parkway in downtown Portland along the west bank of the Willamette River
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
and onto U.S. Route 30 to St. Helens
St. Helens, Oregon
St. Helens is the county seat of Columbia County, Oregon. It was founded by Captain H. M. Knighton, a native of New England, in 1845 as "Plymouth". The name was changed to St. Helens in the latter part of 1850 for its view of Mount St. Helens some away in Washington. The population was 10,019 at...
. From there onward, the route passes through hilly rural and sometimes unpaved backroads through the communities of Mist
Mist, Oregon
Mist is an unincorporated community in Columbia County, Oregon, United States. It was named for the atmospheric conditions of the Nehalem Valley.On July 6, 2001, the Mist store, which was built in 1874, caught fire and was destroyed...
and Birkenfeld on the way to the finish line in Seaside
Seaside, Oregon
Seaside is a city in Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. The name Seaside is derived from Seaside House, a historic summer resort built in the 1870s by railroad magnate Ben Holladay. The city's population was 6,457 at the 2010 census.-History:...
.
The Portland to Coast Walk Relay and the High School Challenge Relay follow the last 24 legs (127 miles) of the course, starting from the Hawthorne Bridge in downtown Portland. Each participant in these relays walk or run at least two legs in rotation.
Logistics and atmosphere
Each twelve-person team is allowed two vehicles no larger than a standard-sized vanVan
A van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people.In British English usage, it can be either specially designed or based on a saloon or sedan car, the latter type often including derivatives with open backs...
. While the vans generally follow the race course in support of their runners, certain narrower portions of the course require one van to make a detour to alleviate traffic congestion. Teams usually give themselves funny or original names and decorate their vehicles according to a theme. Race organizers announce the winners for best team name, best van design, best team outfit, and outstanding volunteer, (as voted by teams) at the PTC Awards Ceremony, Saturday evening, and on the HTC website.
Teams are expected to provide their own provisions, including food and water, and to ensure their own safety; there are no promised aid stations or police protection on the course, nor is there prize money for the winners. However, local schools and churches along the route provide sleeping areas, food, and showers at nominal cost to participants as fundraisers. Teams compete in divisions based on gender (men, women, and mixed) age (based on the age of the youngest participant) or corporate sponsor.
All teams that include at least one member living within a 90 miles (144.8 km) radius of Portland are required to provide three volunteers to ensure adequate personnel at turns and exchanges along the course race.