Endurance: Aragon students participate in Portland to Coast Relay

The Portland to Coast Relay, an annual 127-mile-long relay event, takes a considerable amount of perseverance and determination.

The race starts in downtown Portland where the runners run west and cross the beautiful rural lands of Oregon, eventually finishing at the coastal city of Seaside, Oregon.

Eight runners from the Aragon cross country team drove for ten hours, participated in this long race and finished with third place.

There were seven sophomore runners and one freshman runner on the team. In this relay, each runner runs three legs, with the average leg being about five miles. Each runner runs about fifteen to sixteen miles total. This race is much longer than a regular cross country meet which is only about 3.1 miles long.

The first runner from the team starts the race while the other runners rest and mentally prepare for their turn. Once the first runner is done with their leg it is time for the second man to run his leg while the first runner rests. This cycle repeats itself until the 127 miles have been completed.

The race started at 6 p.m. on August 26 and ended at around 9 a.m. on August 27 which included running long hours past midnight.

“It’s hard to run, then sleep, then run again after that. It’s kind of weird running at two in the morning,” says sophomore Ian Barrie.

Different runners have different strategies regarding how to combat the physical and mental strain. Some runners save their energy in the beginning of their run and speed up later while others try to keep a consistent pace throughout their leg.

Sophomore Rory Beyer says, “Before the run I was thinking of a strategy on how I would run each leg. During the run, the strategy meant nothing.”

When asked about how he felt after the race, Beyer says, “My legs were so shot, I was so tired and it was so much relief.”

There were also numerous obstacles to deal with during the relay. “While I was running I ran into a road with only two lanes,” says Beyer. “I had to choose one lane or the other. I chose the lane on the right because it was flatter. I’m glad I did because it was the right choice.”

During the race the runners run individually but it is also a team effort. “Whenever somebody runs, we cheer them on,” says sophomore Jong Lim, “We get each other pumped up.”

The long drive, team effort and unexpected obstacles combined to make this relay that much more memorable for the eight Aragon cross country runners who took on the grueling Portland to Coast Relay.