Hood To Coast Apologizes After Top Women's Team Snubbed

PORTLAND, OR – For nearly 24 hour straight hours, 12 women worked together, running the 200 mile relay race from Mt. Hood to Seaside. Their final time of 21 hours and three minutes placed them 12th overall and the top women's team in the race.

So, on Saturday, when race organizers held the medal ceremony honoring runners, walkers, and high school teams, where were the 12 women of Team Goats 'N Roses?

In the crowd. Watching.

"When we asked why women's weren't announced we were told by RD Bob Foote, 'Go talk to someone who cares'," team member Emily Pritt wrote on Twitter.

"WOW."

Race Director Bob Foote started the event more than 25 years ago.

The Hood to Coast Relay is a giant undertaking. Pritt's team finished 12th out of the 1,032 teams that completed the race. Seventy percent of the participants are women.

"Pretty sure my legs would tell you we ran the same 199 miles as the top men's team did," Pritt said. "I'm pissed at this RD for recognizing their efforts and not ours."

Pritt said she wants to be clear that she's not knocking the men's team; she just was mystified by the lack of recognition for women.

Change came swiftly.

"Team Goats and Roses crushed #HTC2018 with a blazing time of 21:03 to take the top spot for women overall," organizers said in a statement. "We did not recognize this great achievement and we were wrong, the top three women's teams should have been recognized.

"This will never happen again. We thank Goats and Roses for making us aware of our error. Moving forward, we’ll make changes and it will be because of Team Goats and Roses. Again, it was our mistake and it will never happen again."

While Pritt and others say that they are looking forward to the changes, others took to social media to knock the race for not specifically addressing what Pritt said that she'd been told by Foote.

Race organizers have not yet responded to a message. This story will be updated when they do."

Photo via Team Goats 'N Roses.