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News Release
Contact: Robin Maxey August 25, 2011
(503) 986-1605
robin.maxey@state.or.us
Senate President To Run in Hood to Coast for 17th Time
(SALEM) – Senate President Peter Courtney will take part in the Hood-to-Coast Relay for the 17th time Friday and Saturday.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the 200-mile relay which begins at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood and ends on the beach at Seaside. The field has been expanded this year to 1,250 teams for a total of 15,000 runners. Each team is made up of 12 members, who each run three different legs in the event, which is billed as “The Mother of All Relays.”
Courtney first ran in the annual relay event in 1991 and since 1995 has organized his own team, Peter and the Wolves. A year ago, Courtney competed in the Hood-to-Coast just 53 weeks after having hip replacement surgery.
Other members of Peter and the Wolves include Carly Neal of Monmouth, Bill Kernan of Willamina, Ed Camacho of Dallas, Nadine Wood of Albany, Sarah Lorenzen of Milwaukie, Yuliya Kharitinova of Salem, Heidi Augee of Tualatin, Spencer Walsh of Seattle, Gina Zejdlik of Portland, Kaleena Tuffo of Corvallis and Doris Aponte of Lebanon. Joanie Kinnaman is the team manager. Don Bonderman and Darin Silbernagel will serve as drivers of the team vans.
Courtney is scheduled to run legs 8, 20 and 32 for a total 14.39 miles over a period of approximately 30 hours. Leg 8 covers 4.55 miles west of Sandy. Leg 20 is ranked as one of the most challenging in the relay with more than 800 feet of elevation gain over 6.75 miles on dusty gravel roads in the Coast Range. Leg 32 is 4.09 miles in length west of Olney, nearing the coast.
Hood-to-Coast is featured in a documentary, which premiered across the country in January 2011. Courtney appears in the film. DVDs of the film are available at
www.hoodtocoastmovie.com.
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