The Hood to Coast Relay is a charity relay that starts at the Timberline Lodge near the top of Oregon’s highest peak, Mt. Hood, and winds its way 200 miles down to the sandy beaches of Seaside, Oregon. More than 1,000 teams, each with eight to 12 runners, compete for the best times across 36 legs. It’s a grueling, overnight event followed by the biggest beach party on the west coast. It’s an awesome experience, but before you go, you’ll want some help with the preparation.
So, just how does one begin to prepare for the Hood to Coast Relay? Efficient packing is the key, and a bit of resourcefulness along the way helps, too. Each relay team is allowed team vans and van space is a hugely prized commodity, so you cannot adopt the “kitchen sink philosophy” when packing or you may have some resentful teammates.
A few things to consider before the Hood to Coast Relay:
- You will be living in a crowded van for 24-30 hours
- You likely will NOT shower after running your three relay legs, two of which will be in the hot sun
- Get in a good hot meal before you begin this trek. It will very likely be your last taste of “real food” for a couple days
- Be prepared to NOT sleep, and consider yourself lucky if you manage to get an hour or two
- Try to do a couple “two-a-day” training runs to prepare your legs for a quick recovery
I laid out all of my relay gear in advance to check and re-check; there’s always something. Using Ziploc bags is a fabulous way to stay organized, make sure you get a variety of sizes. You will undoubtedly be searching for items throughout the relay, so grouping outfits or items into bags makes transitions between relay legs smoother. Also advisable, change out of your used, sweaty clothes ASAP and seal them in a bag to trap the odor. Like I said, you’ll be in a crowded van.
Recommended gear list for the Hood to Coast Relay:
Required items:
- Reflective vests with LED flashers (front and back)
- Head lamps or flashlights
Relay running gear:
- Two pairs of running shoes (one will serve as a back up in case of rain)
- Three running outfits including socks and sport bras (undies optional)
- Long sleeve dri-fit top (in case it’s cool on the night leg)
- Sweatshirt & sweat pants
- Sleeping bag + pillow
- Travel sized toiletries & towel
- Open toed sandals (for compression socks)
Essentials:
- Baby wipes for a pseudo shower after running
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses, visor, or hat
- Disposable ice packs
- Body Glide or Vaseline
- Ibuprofen
- Ziploc bags for stinky clothes
- Compression socks for recovery
- Electrolytes (such as nuun)
- Tarp for outdoor sleeping
- Toilet paper (Honey Buckets are plentiful, paper…not so much)
Electronics:
- Cell phone car charger (multiple outlets are best)
- Garmin GPS
- Watch (in case GPS fails)
- Camera
- CDs for music in the van, or ipod/iphone adapter
Extras for fun:
- Van decorations
- Glow-in-the-dark products
- Cowbells
Fuel:
You probably won’t need as much food as you think. Stick to nut butters, bagels, salty pretzels, granola bars, bananas and other easily digestible eats. If you are anything like me, you’ll find your body can perform pretty well on not-enough sleep and poor nutrition when you have adrenaline pumping through your veins! Oh, and get together with your team to get large water cooler/dispensers for the van—they are convenient and environmentally friendly.
Ultimately, of all the things you bring along, it’s packing a positive attitude that will serve you and your teammates best. Enjoy the ultimate running adventure!
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