hood to coast movie

I am floating on air.

I ran through my dreams last night.

Why?

Because I finally got to see the Hood to Coast movie last night.

Hood to Coast is an overnight relay, one that I have had the privilege of being a part of 11 times, both as a runner and a walker.  I was ten years old the first year they ran the Hood to Coast - just six teams making their way from Timberline Lodge to Pacific City.  By the time I was 24 and running my first one, the race had grown to 1,000 teams and finished in Seaside, OR.

In 2011, it will boast 1,250 running teams (up 250 from last year), 400 walking teams and 20 - 30 high school teams.  The fastest teams will chase after the course record - a blistering 4:47 average pace.

The documentary film covers the 2008 running of the relay, following four teams as they journey through training, preparation and the race itself.  One team is dealing with the devastating loss of a young man - husband, son, brother, friend  - who had been registered to run with them that year.  One team features 67 year old Kathy Ryan, returning to the relay after suffering a heart attack on the course a year before.  Team Dead Jocks In A Box captures the story of a veteran team, with all their antics and the growing awareness that they are not as young as they used to be. And finally Team Thunder & Laikaning tells the story of a team woefully underprepared for the event - a story more common than you might think.

More than the individual stories, the film evokes the essence of what the race is truly all about.  I attended with my walking team, and we laughed, cheered and nodded our heads as we recognized ourselves and the experiences we have walked through together over the past 7 years.  I left the theater more excited than ever to run more relays this year.

I have watched a lot of running documentaries, and this one is as good as they come.  Even if you haven't run a relay, you will be caught up by the stories and the energy that you can feel emanating from this race.  If you have run one before, you will see yourself reflected in one of those characters.

The movie will be coming out on DVD, and there may be film distribution in the near future.

My Portland to Coast team from 2010:

Now I have to go train!