PORTLAND, Ore. — The popular Hood to Coast relay will not be held this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, race organizers announced.
The relay, which starts at Mount Hood, continues through Portland and ends at the beach in Seaside, Oregon, is one of the most popular running events in the United States, and is now being replicated worldwide. Thousands of runners from around the world attend Hood to Coast each year.
“With health and safety as our number one priority, and based on the stipulations of Governor Brown and the Oregon Health Authority, we announce that the 39th annual Hood To Coast & 30th anniversary Portland To Coast Walk Relay will not be held in 2020,” organizers wrote in an email.
Teams that registered for the 2019 relays will see their registration transferred into the 2021 race, scheduled for August 27-28, 2021. Registered teams will automatically skip the 2021 lottery.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced earlier this month that as part of her phased reopening plan for the state, large gatherings and sporting events, such as the Hood to Coast and Portland to Coast relays, will not take place until October at the earliest, making the cancellation of this year’s relays inevitable.
Phase 3 of Brown’s plan, which focuses on large gatherings, won’t begin until reliable treatment or prevention of COVID-19 is widely available.
