Hood to Coast is the largest running relay race in North America. The race covers a distance of 197 miles starting from Timberline Lodge toward the top of Mt. Hood ending at the Oregon Coast in Seaside. The relay distance is covered by about 1000 teams (12 people each team). Each person on a team runs 3 legs with a distance of 4-7 miles (usually covering a total distance of 14-18 miles). The total relay takes anywhere from 23 to 32 hours to complete, depending on how fast the runners are! I was on a corporate womens team. I was not super fast, considering I was lucky to be running at all beings less then two weeks before I had the blown up quad from the St. Helens climb and was barely even able to walk until about 4 days before HTC!
Each team is split into two vans; van 1 will go through their 6 runners then van 2 will meet at a transition area (we are at Fred Meyer in Sandy) to meet van 1 when their runners finish. The BEST part of the race is the crazy decorating! Some of my favorites...
Somewhere is a really pissed off youngster after their favorite stuffed animal has been confiscated to be used a hood ornament....
Barbie Orgy!! Mom, if you read this, I NEVER partook in such vile behavior with my dolls....
You could only imagine the nastiness of these puppies, thank god we were trailing the crap sucking machine almost the entire race! Being a slower team had its advantages.....
Handing off where one teammate gets the pleasure of running though meth alley (springwater corridor in east Portland). Watch out, don't trip on tainted needle or a passed out transient!
Seaside at the finish, too exhausted to even think about celebrating. Sick thing is, I will do this again, maybe not until 2009 ;-)
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