Reasons to Run: Documentary captures essence of Oregon relay

Last week, I finally had the chance to see the new "Hood to Coast" movie, which is a documentary about four 12-man teams running the 197-mile relay from Mt. Hood to Seaside, Ore.

The tagline: "Everyday people on an extraordinary journey."

Hood to Coast was the first long-distance, overnight running relay of its kind. Utah-based Ragnar Relay Series used the Hood to Coast model for Wasatch Back, and there are now 14 other relays across the nation.

"The downtown 5K, 10K, marathons – they were becoming a blur,” Hood to Coast race director Bob Foote said on the founding on the relay. “We were bored running these fast, flat 10Ks and we were looking for an adventure."

And Hood to Coast is an adventure.

Twelve runners in two vans leapfrog through an epic course that traverses roller-coaster mountains, crowded city streets and an unforgiving coastline. Runners take turns running three legs of 3.5-8 miles. Sleep, showers and unblistered feet are a luxury.

The documentary, which had a filming crew of 110, is well made.

Viewers learn that Hood to Coast began with humble beginnings in 1982 with eight teams and now caps out at 1,200. It is so popular that it's now picked on a lottery basis.

The panoramic helicopter shots of the tree-lined mountain trails are beautiful. The start line and exchange footage is exciting. The close-ups of super athletes "road killing" their competition are incredible. Even the close-ups of the runners struggling, like Oregon State Senate President Peter Courtney, who had Hood to Coast declared a state treasure, are uplifting.

Non-runners would find the film entertaining, but as a runner and a Hood to Coast alum (I ran the race in 2005), I found it inspiring. I recognized areas of the course I ran and could relate to the line from a team Dead Jocks member, "Nobody can run the last leg with their body. It has to be with their mind because the body doesn't work anymore."

The teams are an eclectic mix; their stories had me laughing and even crying. The featured teams include: