A second tradition born in Oregon is expanding here.
Washington hosted its first Hood to Coast relay race in June, modeled after the annual event of the same name that’s been happening in Oregon for nearly 30 years. Runners started at Hood Canal and ended up in Seabrook.
On Sept. 30, a similar event for bicyclists will be held. Reach the Beach, which also occurs every year in Oregon, will have several starting points along a single route (depending on how far each participant wishes to ride). All will cross the finish line in Westport.
While Hood to Coast runs raise funds for multiple charities, Reach the Beach is organized by the American Lung Association, whose mission is to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. The nonprofit’s Washington operation is partnering with Oregon’s Hood to Coast organization to stage this state’s first event.
Season Oltmann, Washington executive director of the Lung Association, said the ride route was identified with help from Greater Grays Harbor Inc., Grays Harbor Tourism, the Port of Grays Harbor Commission and local community leaders.
Dru Garson, CEO of Greater Grays Harbor, played a big role in nailing down the final destination.
“We put a proposal together and sent it to the organization with different potential locations,” he said, including Ocean Shores, Seabrook and Westport. He said the association was looking for places that would work best logistically, that provided good photo opportunities for participants, and that could accommodate finish-line events with vendors, food and beverages.
“We worked with representatives from each community,” he said. “In Westport, Jarl Priest, owner of Aloha Alabama BBQ, played tour guide for us.”
The organizers must have liked what Priest had to say: His restaurant will cater the finish-line dinner and beach party, according to Oltmann, with drinks to be poured by the Westport Winery and Blackbeard’s Brewing Co. And the final 8 miles of the ride will be on the cycling trail along the coast, ending near the observation tower.
About 800 people have registered to date, she said, and there is no deadline; anyone interested in participating can walk up to one of the starting points and register. The fee is $50, and each rider also must raise (or donate) an additional $125.
But not many locals are expected to ride.
“This is very much a destination event,” said Oltmann. “Very few people are participating from Grays Harbor or Thurston county. The majority of our cyclists are coming out of the Puget Sound area or Oregon.”
That’s good news for Harbor service providers such as hotels and restaurants that rely heavily on summer tourism. With Hood to Coast in early June and Reach the Beach in late September, “we now have two events on our ‘shoulder’ seasons,” said Garson.
It also provides potential benefits for the future as first-time visitors return to see more.
Oltmann, a former Grays Harbor resident who was involved for years in the local Relay for Life, is thrilled to have the chance to introduce new people to this area.
“It feels like bringing people back to my hometown because it’s where I started my nonprofit career,” she said. “It’s such a beautiful community, with super warm and welcoming people.”
* * *
START POINTS
100 miles: Lacey
Staging from 6-7:30 a.m. at Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church
80 miles: Olympia
Staging from 8-9 a.m. at Black Hills High School
44 miles: Elma
Staging from 9-10 a.m. at Elma High School
25 miles: Cosmopolis
Staging from 10-11 a.m. at the Lions Club
For more detailed information, or to register, visit www.reachthebeachwa.org.
