This year’s Hood to Coast might have been more aptly named Hood to Roast as runners in the 196-mile Oregon relay race sweated their way into downtown Portland on the city’s first 100-degree day of the year.
Gina Milhauser, 42, was making her way along the southwest waterfront around 3 p.m. Friday when she slowed her pace to a walk.
A cellphone app put the temperature at an unofficial 97 degrees at the time. Later, Portland International Airport recorded the day’s high at 101 , making this the hottest Hood to Coast since the race started in 1982. Before then, the hottest year for runners was 2016 , when temperatures reached 97 degrees.
“The heat is killer,” Milhauser said as she passed under the Hawthorne Bridge. “I don’t think I can run anymore.”
Hood to Coast runners and support