Hood to Coast

A turfgrass scientist recounts a week of running across four countries—China’s Hainan Island (past wedding photographers on the beach), rainy Bangkok, Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach in searing heat, and finally St. Andrews, Scotland—coining the term “quadracious” to describe his globe-spanning training week.

Traveling for work across South Carolina, Beijing, and Tokyo in a single week, the author managed to set personal speed records at each location, capping the trip with a scenic run twice around Tokyo’s Imperial Palace in April.

On Makha Bucha Day, the author ran a 10.5 km mini-marathon through the salt flats of coastal Samut Sakhon, Thailand, earning a finisher’s medal featuring the provincial seal and enjoying a post-race meal of Hoi Tod while training for the Hood to Coast relay race.

A runner shares their silver medal from a 10.5 km race in Bangkok, part of a self-described “quadracious” training program preparing for the Hood to Coast relay, with a follow-up 6.5 km run at Bangkok Golf Club planned for the next day.

A runner training for the 317 km Hood to Coast relay in August describes earning a finisher’s medal at Bangkok’s Fight Aids 10K and outlines a quirky four-pronged training strategy combining running with turfgrass science, skiing, and golf — and asks readers to help name this unconventional approach.