2019 Hood to Coast passes through Portland (PHOTOS)

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If you’re wondering why a plethora of decorated vans and SUVs passed through Portland Friday, it’s because the 2019 Hood to Coast relay race, one of the largest relay races in the world, is underway. Runners from 1,050 teams started Friday morning at Timberline Lodge and are traveling 199 miles to Seaside. The two-day event, dubbed “The Mother of all Relays” also includes a Portland to Coast with 400 walk teams and a Portland to Coast High School Challenge with 40 teams. Both will travel 130 miles.

The fastest time was set in 1995 by the Nike Mambu Baddu team. They completed the 199-mile course with a time of 15:44:55. The women's record was also set by a Nike team in 1996 with a time of 18:49:54. Last year, the Toyo University Ekiden team from Tokyo, Japan, took first place with a time of 16:52:49.

In comparison, it can take slower teams almost 40 hours to complete the entire course. For example, in 2016 Sloth Squad finished with a time of 34:45:10, followed by Team Molasses with a time of 38:12:14. The event, which first started with eight teams in 1982, has raised $4.5 million for Providence Cancer Institute since 2013. This year, they hope to raise $1 million.

By the numbers:

19,000: Runners traveling from Mount Hood to Seaside

3,600: Volunteers

590: Honey Bucket porta-potties

450: Cancer survivors running or walking

110: Ham radio operators

40: Countries participating

Here are the results for the first ten teams that crossed the finish line Saturday morning in Seaside:

1. Bowerman Track Club 17:19:01.3

2. Runlab 17:48:46.7

3. Google1 19:21:02.8

4. Tarahumara 19:43:17.4