High school kids who never stopped showing up.

In 1986, a group of cross country runners from Sunset High School entered Hood to Coast for the first time, inspired by their fathers who had competed in the inaugural 1982 race. Their coach, Dave Robbins, also ran in 1985 alongside some older team members, further fueling their passion for the event. From that first race, The Dirty Half Dozen +6 has never missed a year.

When they first started, they were just 16 years old. The ability for 12 teenagers to pull off this race is truly remarkable. Their parents wouldn’t let them drive, so they had to talk them into driving the vans. This lasted a couple of years until they graduated from high school — usually where most teams would break apart, especially when everyone heads off to college and loses touch. But they found a way to get 12 guys back together every year.

They went off to different colleges — OSU, UofO, Washington, PLU, Willamette, Gonzaga, St. John’s — but made it home for Hood to Coast weekend, even at 18 and 19. After graduation came careers, some in the area, one as far as Korea, one who joined the Army. Then came marriages, kids, divorces, parents passing, and all the stages of life. They worked through it all — often in the van, where you spend most of the time you aren’t running.

“What started as a fun challenge became something they wanted to repeat. The following year they ran again. Then again. And again. Without anyone formally deciding it, Hood to Coast became the annual gathering point.”

Now averaging 56–57 years old, it’s hard to imagine that they have spent nearly 40 of those years competing in this race. What started as a group of high school runners has grown into a lifelong tradition and an unbreakable brotherhood — one that even includes two actual brothers on the team. The fact that they are still out here, pushing themselves year after year, is a testament to the deep bond forged through decades of competition, camaraderie, and countless hours on the road.