Hood & Portland to Coast Relay
The Mother of All Relays
The Providence Hood & Portland To Coast Relay is the most popular and largest running/walking relay race in the world, drawing participants from over 40 countries and all 50 states.
Known as the Mother of All Relays, the event takes 8-12 member relay teams through the unique and beautiful Oregon terrain, starting from the iconic top of Mount Hood and ending at the beaches of the Pacific Ocean. This 196 mile relay (128 miles for Portland To Coast) has filled its team limit for the past 37 years and on Opening Lottery Day for 33 consecutive years!
Join US
August 28th-29th, 2026
The World's Biggest Long Distance Relay
Join 1,000+ teams in the world’s largest and most iconic long-distance relay, where 8–12 teammates (most commonly 12) run or walk in rotating legs for a most epic relay, over nearly 200 miles of Oregon’s most breathtaking terrain.
2026 Hood to Coast Relay Info
Hood to Coast Lottery
Hood to Coast Course Maps
Volunteer Information
Team Clubhouse FAQ
Providence FinishCancer Team
Rules & Safety
When you receive your official race bib, please fill out the important emergency contact information on the back. This is a requirement for all team members to complete before starting the relay.
From 6:00pm – 7:00am, participating runners & walkers must:
*Carry a flashlight (headlight or similar)
*Wear one front and one back LED flasher.
*Wear a reflective vest (vest must be worn until 9:00am)
Teammates/support personnel are highly recommended to wear a reflective vest and LED flasher (when not inside the race vehicle), on the course or at any exchange, from 6:00pm – 9:00am. All participants are encouraged to wear high visibility colors during all hours.
Download/print additional signs for your team vehicle! ‘Caution Runners on Road‘ or ‘Caution Walkers on Road‘
Teams or participants found sleeping in un-designated sleeping areas (such as exchange parking) MUST move to one of the designated sleeping areas (Exchange 18, 24, and 30) or risk being disqualified.
Participants are allowed to use small tents in designated sleeping fields – except Exchange 30!
If participants do not agree to move to a designated sleeping area (roped off with stakes and caution/surveyor’s tape), they will be disqualified from the race. This is a safety issue of high importance.
Alaska Airlines is pleased to present the #AlaskaCarelines Campout at Exchange 24! All Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan™ Members will get exclusive access to a two-person tent while you catch some Z’s before heading off to the next exchange. Just show your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan™ number to the attendant in order to enter. Valid forms of Mileage Plan numbers include an Alaska Airlines credit card (physical or apple wallet) or Mileage Plan number in the Alaska Airlines app. Not a Mileage Plan Member? No problem! Visit their website to sign up in less than 2 minutes.
Music devices with speakers below the head or outside of the ear are highly encouraged, while headphones or buds in the ear are discouraged. Participants must still be able to hear instructions and general traffic noises.
If a Volunteer or Race Official deems the music too loud, the participant must turn down the volume immediately. Failure to comply will result in immediate disqualification.
The race hires a bike safety patrol to monitor Springwater Trail/Waterfront Park from legs 10-13, as well as a motorcycle safety patrol with riders from Legs 13-35 for the entire race. They will be wearing race official shirts, a reflective vest, LED flashers and have event radios for communication if needed.
Oregon State Law clearly states that no open containers of alcohol are permitted within vehicles. Save the celebration for the Finish Party! Police will be strongly enforcing this law on the course.
The Race Course and Finish Area will close Saturday evening at 9:00pm.
Any teams still on the course at that time will be requested by Race Officials to either discontinue the race, or plan on finishing by having more than one teammate run at the same time, called “Leap Frogging.”
All teams are seeded to finish before the course officially closes, provided your team has supplied honest race pace times.
No traffic or police monitors are promised to protect runners and walkers from vehicular traffic along the course.
Great care must be exercised at all times by participants and team vehicles.
Participants must travel along the right road shoulder or sidewalk (unless otherwise stated), and obey all Oregon traffic laws and signals.
Self-policing of our event is the reason we will have a lack of injuries or traffic-related mishaps.
Teams are responsible for supplying an adequate first aid kit to treat: blisters, abrasion, headaches, heat exhaustion, and other common ailments. Most running & walking injuries are directly related to soft tissue trauma and are effectively treated with ice.
We strongly recommend bringing a cooler filled with ice (remember R.I.C.E: Rest Ice Compression Elevation).
We’re proud to partner with ColdVest for the 2024 Hood and Portland To Coast Relays. The safety of our participants and volunteers is always our number one priority. That is why we have decided to place five ColdVests on course to protect from the effects of heat stroke and exhaustion. These vests are portable and require no ice or electricity making them easy to deploy in an emergency. Learn more about ColdVest and grab one for your team here.
There will be a radio at every exchange point along the race course. If you see anyone in need of assistance, please get their race number, and if possible, let the Exchange Leader with a radio know at the next Exchange Point. They are capable of bringing in an ambulance or even Life Flight if necessary.
In case of emergency, (Start, on course roads, or at Finish), it is each participant/team’s responsibility to seek their own appropriate medical/emergency care. Remember to write your emergency medical info where provided on the back of your race bib!
Attached here is our Tsunami Evacuation Route Map if needed while at the beach.
Let’s all do our part to reduce the chance of a forest or grass fire! Each team vehicle should carry a fire extinguisher, shovel, and gallon(s) of water.
No aid stations guaranteed along the course.
Participants are strongly urged to carry large containers of water in team vehicles!
Most important step you can take during the race is to continuously hydrate (drink non-caffeinated fluids and water).
Recommended intake: 12-16 cups of water per day.
30 MINUTE PENALTIES
Race Numbers/Wrist Wraps
Race bibs must be worn at all times, and the Wrist Wrap must be carried/worn at all times throughout the race.
No stopping on road or in exchange parking area prior to parking
No stopping, when vehicles are moving, to drop off a runner/walker. This quickly causes a backup of congestion if vans do not adhere to the rule.
Vehicles Following Participants
No vehicles will be allowed to follow behind participants to illuminate the road during night-time legs. These vehicles severely impede traffic.
Conduct on Race Course
Any conduct deemed unsafe or unsportsmanlike by Race Officials will not be tolerated. Do not obstruct traffic, play loud music, yell, or honk horns early in the morning or at night in rural/neighborhood areas. Also, no van decorations that are overtly suggestive, sexual, or that contain foul language.
No Parking on Road Prior to Exchange
No parking is allowed along the roads within 500 feet prior to an exchange. Parking is allowed in designated areas only after the exchange point marker. Please park off the road as far as possible, watch for participants, and stay alert to other traffic.
60 MINUTE PENALTY
Participant Rotation
All teams are to rotate their team members in the same sequence throughout the race, not consecutively in a row. For example, if a participant begins on Leg 2, he/she must stay in the number 2 position throughout the race. The participant would then rotate to Leg 8.This sequence should continue unless a teammate has dropped out.)
Mixed Division Participant Drop Out
If a participant on a Mixed Division team becomes injured and drops out during a leg, the injured runner/walker must be replaced with the next team member in rotation of the same gender. (See handbook for additional details and examples.)
Participant Drop Out
If a team member drops out due to injury or illness during a leg, only the next runner/walker in rotation can take the wrist wrap to continue, (but only to the next exchange point.) The next person in rotation can only finish the unfinished portion of the previous leg and go no further. A handoff must occur at the exchange point to the next participant in rotation. No more than one substitution in one leg is allowed. (See handbook for additional details and examples.)
Race Officials
Course volunteers, O.D.O.T, and traffic safety officials at exchanges are considered Race Officials. They have the authority to disqualify a team for rule violations, abusive behavior, or failure to follow instructions given by volunteers. Abusive treatment of disregard for their authority will result, at minimum, in a 60-minute penalty.
Display of Team Vehicle Signs
Each team is to have one (1) vehicle on the race course at a time. Official vehicle signs will be issued to each team (in the team bag given at packet pickup or the race check-in tent). A 60-minute penalty will be assessed for failure to properly display these signs. A team found with more than one vehicle on the race course will be disqualified.
DISQUALIFICATION
Safety Gear
From 3:00am-7:00am and after 6:00 pm, all participants on the course must:
– Carry a flashlight (headlamp or similar)
– Wear one front and one back LED flasher.
– Wear reflective vest until 9:00am
Save the Party for the Finish!
Open alcoholic containers, drinking, inebriated participants or volunteers on the course will immediately be disqualified.
No Bicycles or Dogs
No bicycles or dogs are allowed to accompany participants on the race course. Team members found biking the course are assumed to be accompanying participants and the team will be disqualified.
Public Nuisance Rule
Participants who are reported to have littered, urinated, or defecated on private property will immediately be disqualified. Please use good judgment and be considerate of property owners along the course. Portable toilets and ample garage containers are provided at each exchange point.
No Oversize Vehicles
Vehicles must not exceed 93” wide x 276” long x 107” high. Motor homes, buses, and limos are NOT allowed on the course by any team or team support. If you have doubts about the legality of your vehicle, contact the HTC/PTC office prior to the relay.
Start Time
Any teams found starting the race earlier than their assigned start time will be disqualified.
Turkey Trot 5K
Heart to Start 5K/10k
Red, White & Blues 5k/10k
HTC/PTC
High Desert
Ultimate Racer Challenge
You must complete the following:
- Participate in every 2026 HTC Race Series event and the Hood or Portland To Coast Relay.
- At the end of year post a picture of all your medals to Instagram or Facebook and tag @htcrelay. We also highly encourage you to post your progress throughout the year!
- Email [email protected] after you complete this challenge with a photo of all your medals by 12/15/26.
You’ll receive an HTC Ultimate Racer Medal, exclusive swag, and two FREE entries into each 2027 HTC Road Race!
*Complete 5 out of 6 races and and still receive one free entry into a 2027 road race!
Thank you to our sponsors
