Once our last runner in our van had completed his last leg, we turned it over to Van 2 to bring it home and we set off for the finish where we would wait for them before we could all cross the finish line together and record our official finish time.

Seaside is a typical coastal town of small streets lined with restaurants, beach ware shops and other tourist attracting stores. We once again made use of the showers at the local high school and then off to the beach. We arrived on the beach itself to find a massive stage where bands performed throughout the day, a multitude of tents selling food and race souvenirs, and thousands and thousands of people eating and drinking. We had arranged a “VIP” tent beforehand, as we had fund raised for the local cancer fighting charity, and we settled in there for the wait. Food and drinks were provided. It was good to relax out of the van. Linda met us on the beach, having driven herself down from Portland that morning.

A few hours later we got a call - the last runner was a few miles out - so we gathered near the finish to await him. Then all 12 team members joined and crossed the finish line together - our final time being 30 hrs, 36 minutes and 4 seconds.

Without doubt this was one of the highlights of my running events.  The sense of camaraderie amongst the team, amongst the volunteers and other teams is uplifting.  Although shorter than a marathon in terms of distance, the effort of running, dashing off in the van, being cramped between runs, sleep deprivation and poor nutrition all came together to make it difficult in a way a marathon is not (they are difficult for other reasons).  But all those same things also come together to provide a great sense of accomplishment and an unparalleled amount of fun.