THE HOOD TO COAST RELAY RACE (OREGON) Guest Post by Sara Kras, with Photos by Caroline Hatton

Hood to Coast Relay Race runners in Portland, Oregon.

My friend Sara Kras is a fellow children’s writer and past contributor to this blog. Our friend Caroline Hatton took the photos in this post in August 2026. Sara was in Portland visiting her daughter who lives right on the race route. Sara commented, "It was a lot of fun watching the various runners."

Appearing like a mirage in the darkness on Linn Street, Portland, Oregon, joggers, one after another, laced with neon string lights around their necks passed by. Their breath came out ragged and heavy. Staff volunteers armed with flashlights stood on the street corner by the railroad track. “Watch out for the tracks. Go to the left,” one instructed. “Good job,” said another.

Where did these joggers come from and why were they out at 10 p.m. and later?

They were part of the 44^th annual Hood to Coast Relay Race, which took place August 28 – 29, 2026.  This race is always scheduled on the last weekend of August. 

The race began at Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood at 3:00 a.m. Friday, August 28, and race starts continued until around 2:00 p.m., because teams had staggered start times depending on the speed of their individual runners, to calculate their arrival at Seaside, on the Pacific Coast of Oregon, almost two hundred miles from Timberline Lodge. The teams had to arrive in Seaside no later than 9:00 p.m. Saturday, August 29, to go on record for having finished the race. 

Volunteers (in yellow reflective vests in the two above photos) worked in 4-hour shifts. Some runners were fast and laser-focused, others smiled and waved to acknowledge cheering fans, some took walking breaks. One man wore a yellow tutu over his running shorts, a woman pulled a purple helium balloon tied to the back of her shorts, and several women had brightened their faces with a little glitter.

This popular event has about 12,600 participants. These are divided into 1,050 teams comprising about 12 runners. The race route is divided into 36 legs, each averaging about 4 to 6 miles. Each runner is assigned to run specific legs.

The teams must organize two vans. Inside the vans, the teams supply necessities such as clothing, flashlights, food and drink, and pillows and light blankets so runners can rest. In addition, there are assigned sleeping and rest fields along the route for runners to sleep between their assigned relay legs.

After the race, a finish line party commences to present awards. The party continues for several days with music along with local vendors. The small town of Seaside normally has a population of about 7,000. During this event, Seaside must accommodate an additional 20,000 visitors.

No wonder this event is called “The Mother of All Relays!”

THE RHODODENDRON GARDEN IN EUGENE, OREGON Guest Post by Caroline Hatton at The Intrepid Tourist

The Rhododendron Garden in Eugene, Oregon

My friend Caroline Hatton, a frequent contributor to this blog, took these photos of the Eugene Rhododendron Garden in May 2022.

When a couple of friends visited my husband and me in Eugene in May 2022, our walk together through the Rhododendron Garden was a hit for those of us who love plants, as well as for those of us who love endless geek talk.

Hendricks Park in Eugene, Oregon, home of the Rhododendron Garden

The Rhododendron Garden is at the north end of Hendricks Park, a forested, hilly city park surrounded by curving residential streets, a few blocks above the University of Oregon campus.

Rhododendron Garden footpath

A sign identifies the garden, “established in 1951 in cooperation with the Eugene Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society.” A maze of footpaths, under tall, native Oregon White Oaks and Douglas Firs and among native ferns, leads from some Rhododendrons the size of beach balls to others larger than garden sheds.

Rhododendron ‘Umpqua Chief’ x ‘Fawn’ hybrid

Some Rhododendrons originated in far-away countries, others as horticultural hybrids.

Rhododendron ‘Horizon Lakeside’ Hybrid

Different Rhododendron species blossom at different times in the Spring and produce flowers of different colors, with the peak blooming time in April and May.

Other flowers, planted or not, splash more color everywhere.  

Diverse shrubs, trees, and vines add layers and shades of green, and in some months, more flowers.

Tranquility is protected by limited parking. The volunteers who help care for the garden don’t manicure it, preserving its secret-garden charm. Twenty scattered benches are available for geeks to sit and chat nonstop while waiting for their respective plant lovers to take photos.

 

All text and photos, copyright Caroline Arnold. www.theintrepidtourist.blogspot.com