Half a lifetime ago I and some friends ran the nearly 200-mile Hood to Coast Relay, August 28-29, 1992. Seminary buddy Gary Sandberg (now Senior Pastor at Bethany Lutheran Church in Denver) and I also ran three marathons together. Peter Gogl was a college and fraternity buddy with whom I ran many early mornings. my friend Jeff Williamson also joined us. I don’t recall if I had a camera back in the day, but someone did. The other day while cleaning a closet, Susan and I stumbled on these photos in an old scrapbook.

Founded in 1982, The Hood to Coast claims to be the “Mother of All Relays” with 12,000 runners. It begins at the top of Mt. Hood, above the tree line, at an altitude of about 11,000, then finishes at the Pacific Ocean in Astoria, about sea level. The route has changed a bit over the years, but here’s the current map:

The journey to Oregon
We were young and stupid, and yes, there were antics along the way.

I don’t recall our times. I do recall the fun, and also running through the night, on dark, unfamiliar roads, sleeping in the van, sore muscles, intoxicating scenery. Good memories.