Hood to Coast

Release Date: 11 January 2011

Production: Film For Thought

Directed by: Christoph Baaden

Cast: Bob Applegate, Jason Balwin, Vicki Bebb, Ryndi Bowe, Travis Bowe

Hood to Coast Plot Summary

In 1982, Bob Foote was an experienced long distance runner living in Portland, Oregon who was looking for a new challenge. Rather than train for another marathon, Foote decided to organize a relay race, in which teams of twelve runners would take turns running in six mile increments as they covered the 197 miles from Mount Hood to the Oregon coastline. The first Hood To Coast relay race attracted eight teams, but today one thousand groups of runners take part in the event each year (more would compete but logistics forced the organizers to set limits), and filmmakers Christoph Baaden and Marcie Hume offer an up close look at one of the most unique events in running and the people who participate in the documentary Hood To Coast. The filmmakers focus on four very different teams joining in the relay. The Dead Jocks In A Box are experienced and successful distance runners who are also looking for ways to make the race as fun and unpredictable as possible. Thunder n’ Laikaning is comprised of employees of a digital animation studio looking to work off some extra pounds, though a few underestimate the physical challenge of the event. Heart n’ Sole is a group led by Kathy Ryan, a 67-year-old retired teacher and longtime runner who wants to get back into racing after a serious heart attack. And Team R. Bowe is made up of friends and family of a runner who died before taking part in the relay in a bid to keep his memory alive. Hood To Coast received its world premiere at the 2010 South By Southwest Film Festival.