Hood to Coast founder replaced as chairman after not acknowledging top women’s teams

PORTLAND — The founder of the Hood to Coast relay race has been replaced as chairman days after he didn’t acknowledge this year’s top women’s teams during the event’s awards ceremony, then allegedly said “go talk to someone who cares,” when confronted about the omission.

Hood to Coast organizers announced Monday that Felicia Hubber, who’s been race director since 2006, has been promoted to chairwoman and is now the company’s highest ranking employee. She replaces her father Bob Foote, who was not mentioned in a press release announcing the promotion.

Hubber will also continue as race director.

Emily Pritt, a runner part of the top overall women’s team, tweeted Saturday after the awards ceremony that Foote made the remark to her and her teammates after they asked why no female teams were recognized during the ceremony even though the top men’s, high school and walking teams received trophies.

The organization on its Facebook page on Sunday recognized Pritt’s group, Team Goats N Roses, as the top female finishers and apologized for not publicly recognizing them or the second- and third-place all-female teams at the awards ceremony.

“This will never happen again,” the post said. “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.” Seventy percent of the race participants are women, the company said.

Pritt tweeted Sunday that Hood to Coast officials have been “positively responsive and extremely apologetic,” since the awards ceremony. She said they planned to meet with Goats N Roses team members to discuss the situation and talk about how to move forward.

This year’s two-day relay race was 199 miles long, stretching from Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood to Seaside. The race, which began in 1982, featured 1,050 teams of 8 to 12 runners and 3,000 volunteers.