Runners take off down the mountain for the first leg of the Hood to Coast relay in this 2017 file photo.
Bradley W. Parks / OPB
The 2023 Hood to Coast relay race started early Friday at Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood and will continue through the weekend.
Relay teams huddled together at the race start as a quick moving storm blanketed the region in heavy rain and lightning.
The blustery conditions quickly cleared, and runners began the roughly 200-mile journey from the mountain to the finish line in Seaside.
The Providence Hood & Portland To Coast Relays, as the race is formally known, is the largest of its kind in Oregon, with thousands of runners from all over the world. Organizers estimate they will have runners from 40 countries and all 50 U.S. states at this year’s event, which is the 41st running of the relay.
Teams who are only participating in the Portland to Coast portion of the race will begin their journey at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
Emergency officials and race planners encourage drivers along the route to keep a watchful eye this weekend as runners chip away at their relay legs around the clock. The race will see runners along major highways, including U.S. 26, Oregon 212, U.S. 30, Oregon 47 and Oregon 202.
Runners participating in the race will likely need to stay especially well hydrated, as this weekend’s temperatures across the Portland region will reach into the 90s, according to the National Weather Service.