Today begins the 2 day festivities around the 2010 Hood to Coast relay. The relay which goes from Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood all the way to Seaside at the Oregon Coast, is an estimated 197 miles long. The runners began at 6:30 am this morning, to kick off the 29th annual Hood to coast race. Traffic may be an issue with a large number of people participating, as well as watching, but city officials and police are prepared well for this annual event.

“The biggest challenge will be keeping traffic moving through the core area. There will be so many vehicles in town, parking will also be a real challenge,” stated Seaside Police Lt. Dave Ham.

The Relay is one of the biggest in the country. For the past 15 years they have signed up 1,000, 12 member teams, yes that’s 12,000 participants. This year they filled up within the first day of registration. The event is expected to bring in over 30,000 people and have a financial impact on the area upwards of $10 million.