Salem, Oregon's
Running & Walking Club Site
Home of
Willamette Valley Road Runners (WVRR)
www.WVRoadrunners.org.

HOOD TO COAST HEROES by Mick Evans

Some people say that the last leg of Hood to Coast is as tough as the last 6 miles of a marathon, and some years that sure feels true. However, most marathoners have trained thoroughly for these last 6 miles, and that's not always the case for Hood to Coast runners - where insufficient training or getting talked into joining a team at the last moment can result in a tough last leg.

Last year, I was hanging out at an exchange station in the Coast Hills waiting for our runner to come in when some of the elite teams started pass by in a blur. That's not what got my attention though, in the distance a young runner in black sweats shuffled stiff legged into view, and it was obvious that any muscle power or conditioning had left him long ago and he was running just as Steve Prefontaine used to "on guts".

As he approached, his team mates jumped up and down screaming encouragement. Oblivious to this he staggered into the exchange point and, instead of passing on the wristband, collapsed into the arms of the next runner sobbing. He remained like this for a few seconds until his teammates gently peeled him off, allowing the runner to leave. With a teammate holding each arm he managed to stagger a few steps to the side of the road before he doubled up in obvious pain and gastric distress. His teammates gathered protectively around him shielding him from view, and this routine of staggering a few steps and then doubling over was repeated until this little group disappeared from sight towards their van.

I know that on any given day and distance I could run circles around this guy, but I'm not so sure I could match his bravery and mental toughness on that day.