International Relays
The best of Hood to Coast, somewhere new.
Each year, Hood To Coast participants come together with unique team names, themes, costumes and decorated vehicles to run or walk as teammates to create memories and life long bonds. The Hood To Coast International Relay series has been created to bring that same spirit to beautiful places around the world. This isn’t just your opportunity to run or walk, it is an adventure with friends, family and colleagues.
China, Mainland
ONE-DAY RELAY
June 28, 2025
Zhangjiakou, China
2.5 hours northeast of Beijing, The HTC China Relay was the first international Hood To Coast, and promises another unforgettable adventure next time!
China, Sea
ONE-DAY RELAY
2027 date coming soon!
Hainan, China
The HTC Hainan Relay begins in the beautiful mountain Yanoda Rainforest and takes runners through valleys and along picturesque coastlines to a tropical beachfront finish!
Dubai
TWO-DAY RELAY
January 10, 2026
Dubai, UAE
Teams of five runners will race through breathtaking landscapes, including desert lakes and iconic natural reserves, with seamless transitions between runners at designated exchange points.
More to Come!
EXPANDING OUR INTERNATIONAL RELAYS
There’s so much more to explore! Keep up to date with our upcoming international relays by following us on social media:
Travel Recommendations
Please make sure that each participant has proper documentation for international travel, check that your passport is current and what other credentials are required for entry (ex. visas).
Flights are easy to book on traditional travel sites like Expedia, Travelocity and Kayak.
Book your hotel through Hotel Engine and earn points along with savings of up to 25% off retail pricing! Visit hotelengine.com/join/htcrelay to book today.
Vehicle rental can also be booked on traditional travel sites like Expedia, Travelocity and Kayak. When making reservations be sure to think about the number of participants on your team and having an adequate sized vehicle, as well as the regulations around driving ages and licensing in other countries.
For any questions, please reach out to [email protected].
RULES & SAFETY
Be prepared for your international relay race!
Reflective Gear
From 3:00am-7:00am and after 6:00 pm, runners/walkers while participating must:
Carry a flashlight (headlamp or similar)
Wear one front and one back LED flasher.
From 3:00am-9:00am and after 6:00 pm, runners/walkers while participating must:
Wear a reflective vest
Teammates/support personnel are highly recommended to wear a reflective vest and LED flasher (when not inside the race vehicle), while on the course or at any exchange.
All participants are encouraged to wear high visibility colors during all hours.
Headphones
Music devices with speakers below the head or outside of the ear are allowed.
Headphones/buds or any other music devices in the ear ARE NOT allowed.
Music must be at a sound level considered appropriate to both the general public and other participants.
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 with results in immediate disqualification.
Bike Patrol
The race hires personnel to patrol the entire course from 3:00 am to 9:00 pm.
Look for them with Race Official volunteer shirts, reflective vest, event radios, LED lights and headlamps.
Open Container Law
No open containers of alcohol are permitted within vehicles.
Save the celebration for the Finish Party! Police with be strongly enforcing the law on the courses.
Course Closure
The Race Course and Finish Area will close Saturday evening at 8:30pm.
Any teams still on the course at that time will be requested by the Race Officials to either discontinue the race, or plan on finished by having more than on 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.
Self-Policing
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 correct road shoulder or sidewalk and obey all traffic laws and signals.
Self-policing of our event is the reason we will have a lack of injuries or traffic-related mishaps.
First Aid
Teams are responsible for supplying an adequate first aid kit to treat: blisters, abrasions, 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).
Communications
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 is necessary.
Emergencies
In case of emergency, 9Start, on course roads or at Finish), it is each participants/team’s responsibility to see their own appropriate medical/emergency care. (Remember to write your emergency medical info where provided on the back of your race bib!)
Hydration
No aid stations are guaranteed along the course.
Participants are strongly urged to carry large containers of water in team vehicles!
The 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.
PENALTIES
30 MINUTE DELAY
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 (receive at safety check-in at the start).
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 road 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 DELAY
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 runner/walker 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 Dropout
If a team member drops out due to injury or illness during a leg, only the next runner or walker in rotation can take the wrist wrap and 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, ODOT, and traffic safety officials at exchanges are considered Race Officials. They have authority to disqualify a team for rule violations, abusive behavior, or failure to follow instructions given by volunteers. Abusive treatment or 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. Official vehicle signs will be issued to each team (within team bag given at Packet Pickup or 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 6:00pm, all participants on the course must:
Wear one front and back LED flasher
Carry flashlight, or wear headlamp or hat headlight
Wear reflective vest(this must be worn until 9:00am)
(Each team must present two reflective vests, two flashlights (or Headlights) and two LED flashers for inspection at the Start Check-In Tent. Teams are then issued the official race wrist wrap and allowed to participate).
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 garbage containers are provided at each exchange point.
No Oversize Vehicles
No vehicles 80″ or wider, or longer than 23′, motor homes, buses or limos are allowed on the course by any team or team support. If you have doubts about the legality of your vehicle, contact the HTC Office prior to the relay.
Start Times
Any teams found starting the race at a time other than their assigned Start Time will be disqualified
Headphones
Music devices with speakers below the head or outside of the ear are allowed.
Headphones/buds or any other music devices in the ear are NOT allowed.
Music must be at a sound level considered appropriate to both the general public and other participants.
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 disqualification.