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News Release
Contact: Robin Maxey August 23, 2012
(503) 986-1605
robin.maxey@state.or.us
Courtney To Run Hood to Coast For 18th Time
(SALEM) -- Senate President Peter Courtney will participate in his 18th Hood-to-Coast relay this week, saying the annual 197-mile relay race from Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood to the beach at Seaside is a uniquely Oregon event.
“Hood-to-Coast is more than a relay race. It’s more than an annual tradition. It’s more than a grueling two-day test of body and mind,” said Courtney (D-Salem/Gervais/Woodburn). “Hood-to-Coast is as Oregon as it gets. It’s outdoors in the summer time. It’s active people coming together with a common goal. It’s mountains. It’s cities. It’s logging towns. It’s the beach and the thrill of reaching the Pacific Ocean. Most of all it’s a celebration of the don’t-quit spirit that carried pioneers across the continent to this great state.”
An estimated 12,000 runners take part in the event which is known as the “largest relay in the world.” The event raises money for the American Cancer Society.
Courtney will again compete with his team, Peter and the Wolves.
“For me there’s really something special about being part of a team of people who are all pushing themselves to their absolute limits and being on the road with a thousand other teams who are all pushing themselves to their limits,” Courtney said.
Courtney first ran the Hood-to-Coast in 1991 as a substitute runner contacted at the last minute by a team which had lost one of its members. In 1995, he founded the Wolves, which is based out of Western Oregon University where he serves as an assistant to the president and adjunct instructor.
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