Hood to Coast, the largest road running race of its kind in Oregon, takes to the roads, highways and streets beginning around 5 a.m. Friday. The relay features 12,000 runners and walkers as well more than 3,000 volunteers along the route from Timberline Lodge to Seaside and continues all hours through Saturday evening.

Officials urge cautious driving, as the Hood to Coast relay puts runners on the roads at all hours from early Friday morning to Saturday night. The nearly 200-mile route sometimes puts runners near busy auto travel lanes, especially:

U.S. 26 from Government Camp to Sandy

OR 212 from U.S. 26 to Boring

U.S. 30 from St. Johns to St. Helens

OR 47 along the Nehalem River

OR 202 (Nehalem Highway)

Short sections of U.S. 101 near Seaside.

General route map of the annual relay.

The relay goes through the night, so even in the wee hours drivers may encounter delays along area roads, especially near exchange points where teams swap out runners for the next leg. The event website has a detailed, interactive, route map that shows both specific roads used as well as checkpoints and exchange points. This can be helpful for drivers who wish to avoid delays and for those who want to cheer runners.

Weather for this year’s relay should be just about perfect. Forecasters are looking at cool evenings, partly cloudy mornings and mostly sunny afternoons for the entire span of the weekend. Runners will see highs in the mid 70s in Portland, but cooler temperatures on Mt. Hood and at the Oregon Coast. Definitely bring a jacket or sweatshirt for non-running times.

Non-racers are welcome at the closing party on the beach at Seaside. Enjoy live music by Brian O’Dell Band for early arrivals and by Radical Revolution for nighttime partiers. The awards presentation will be around 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

For more information on the relay, check the website: www.hoodtocoastrelay.com