Creating space in running: How one coach is building a Latino running community at Hood to Coast

In the predawn darkness, a group of runners gather in the streets of Portland. They’re not just training for Hood to Coast , Oregon’s iconic 196-mile relay race, they’re part of a movement to transform what running communities look like and who feels welcome in them.

On a recent episode of the Peak Northwest podcast, Cristian Vargas, founder of Caminando Running Club , shared the story behind creating a Hood to Coast team specifically focused on the Latino community — a decision born during his own midnight run at last year’s relay.

Generative AI was used to summarize a recent episode of the Peak Northwest podcast . This story was reviewed and edited by The Oregonian/OregonLive.

“We want to help people understand that just because we’re brown, just because we’re Latinos does n