Paper: Oregonian, The (Portland, OR)
Title: HOOD TO COAST RUNNERS MAKE ANNUAL JOURNEY THIS WEEKEND
Date: August 26, 2005

HOOD TO COAST RUNNERS MAKE ANNUAL JOURNEY THIS WEEKENDGet out the running shoes and extra-strong deodorant.


The Fred Meyer Hood to Coast Relay, the two-day migration of 12,000 runners from Mount Hood to Seaside, begins this morning at Timberline. Another 6,000 runners and walkers will participate in the Portland to Coast walk and Nationwide Insurance Portland to Coast High School Challenge.


Thats some 196 miles of alternatively pounding the pavement and being jammed in a van with five other sweaty teammates, through hot sun and dark night. The rewards at Seaside include a beach party and bragging rights to finishing a test of human endurance  and tolerance of exceptionally close quarters.


Along the way, runners will face:


THE FIVE TOUGHEST LEGS


Leg 1, Timberline to Government Camp:  A net drop in elevation of 2,000 feet. The knees and quads will feel every foot, eventually.


Leg. 19, starting at Columbia County Fairgrounds in St. Helens: 5.7 miles of steep uphills and descents.


Leg 20, continuing west of St. Helens: 6 miles, much of it on a dusty gravel road, with two major climbs.


Leg. 29, starts on Highway 202 about 4 miles northwest of Jewell: A tough, 3-mile mountain climb, followed by 2.5 miles downhill.


Leg 35, next to last leg near Seaside: 7.5 miles over varied terrain. No shade on this route, run during the hottest part of the day.


THE FIVE MOST SCENIC LEGS (if you even care about scenery at this point)


Leg 1: Its one of the toughest, but also a beautiful run through alpine forest.


Leg 10, along Springwater Corridor: No cars, scenic wooded areas, ripe blackberries.


Leg 13, across the Hawthorne Bridge and through Waterfront Park: Great views of the city.


Leg 24, near Mist: Flat, quiet and lovely along the Nehalem River.


Leg 35: A gently rolling section along private forested lands owned by Weyerhaeuser.


TRAFFIC  Runners  and walkers  will go through Portland from the southeast, crossing the Hawthorne Bridge and out Front Avenue to St. Helens Highway beginning at about 4:30 p.m. Friday through about 6:45 a.m. Saturday.


YOUNG AND OLD  The youngest competitors are 12; the oldest is 80-year-old George Puperbaugh of Tualatin.


ILLUSTRATION:  Graphic -- Map by PAT McLELLAND / The Oregonian