Members of the AFROTC Hood to Coast team celebrate their finish in Seaside, OR. They were one of over 1,000 teams to participate in the 197-mile relay from Mount Hood to Seattle. (Photo courtesy of Lea Kinney)
By Lea Kinney, Guest Commentary
The Hood to Coast run is known as the "mother of all relays" lasting 197 miles from Mount Hood to the Pacific Ocean town of Seaside. This is an event that was begun in 1982 by Bob Foote, a dedicated runner who was looking for a new challenge.
The first year there were only eight teams competing, but at this year's 29th annual relay there were 12,000 runners, making it the largest relay in the world. Every participant runs three legs of the 197 miles, each one varying in difficulty and ranging from four to seven miles.
Though four miles seems like a small amount one has to take into consideration that some portions are in the high elevation of Mount Hood or on gravel roads. At some points in the run the temperature drops below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, though other legs consisted of clear blue skies, perfect for running. This is not a relay that one can enter without any kind of training. Many had trained for more than six months before it began.
This August 11 members of the AFROTC detachment here at the University of Portland participated. Out of 1,023 teams they placed 139th overall and 38th in the men's open division, completed in 25:39:08. That is a great accomplishment and a job well done.
Cadet Michael Patterson ran the relay for the first time this year and said "It went quite well, very tiring, but it was a blast." A Cadre member of the detachment, Captain Jeffrey McGowan, also joined in on the race. He explained that though the running was challenging it was an incredibly fun experience. The AFROTC team did not just include runners; several of the 11 members were people driving two vans to switch runners and give the resting athletes a place to nap before their next leg. Capt. McGowan said, "It quickly became routine to hop out of the van, get ready to run, run, have a very short cool down, then hop back in the van." Everyone from AFROTC det. 695 found the run to be a rewarding experience.
The end of the race was surrounded by a huge hive of activity that consisted of sponsors, music, food and a ton of spectators. The atmosphere was that of a party with nothing but motivated, dedicated and exhausted individuals. Not only did this run challenge more than a thousand committed runners, it raised $459,000 to support the American Cancer Society. Most participants of the relay stated "I'd definitely do it again!"
Lea Kinney is a sophomore nursing major and can be contacted at kinney13@up.edu.
Lea Kinney (The Beacon)
